Short communication: Accuracy of corpus luteum color flow Doppler ultrasonography to diagnose nonpregnancy in dairy cows on day 21 after insemination

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of corpus luteum color flow Doppler ultrasonography (CLCFDU) to diagnose nonpregnant dairy cows 21 d after insemination. A secondary objective was to determine the accuracy of other indirect tests such as corpus luteum size and progesteronemia. Data from 1,632 Holstein cows (10 commercial herds) were used for the analysis in this prospective cohort study. The herds were visited weekly by a veterinarian and an animal health technician. During farm visits, cows were examined on d 21 after insemination using transrectal B-mode ultrasonography to quantify the presence and size of the corpus luteum. After identification of the corpus luteum, CLCFDU was performed and scored as D0, D1, D2, or D3 when 10% or less, between 11 and 30%, between 31 and 60%, or 61% or more of the corpus luteum surface was colored, respectively. A blood sample from coccygeal vessels was also collected to quantify progesteronemia. Farmers were blinded to these findings and no intervention was performed following examination. On d 32 after insemination, the cows were examined by the regular herd veterinarian using transrectal palpation and B-mode ultrasonography to determine whether the cows were pregnant or not (the reference test). Statistical analyses were conducted using 2 × 2 contingency tables. The apparent prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CLCFDU for predicting nonpregnancy were 22.0, 36.6, 99.0, 98.1, and 52.0%, respectively, when using D0 only as the diagnostic criterion; they were 47.2, 76.4, 94.8, 93.5, and 73.8%, respectively, for D0+D1 criteria. The same measures for cows with a corpus luteum <15 mm were 8.0, 11.7, 97.5, 86.9, and 43.4%, respectively, and they were 51.9, 67.4, 70.4, 76.6, and 60.0%, respectively, for progesteronemia <1 ng/mL. The measures of accuracy of CLCFDU to identify nonpregnant cows on d 21 after insemination were high, and the apparent prevalence varied depending on the diagnostic criteria used. The measures of accuracy of corpus luteum size (<15 mm) for the same purpose were high; however, apparent prevalence was low. The measures of accuracy of progesteronemia (<1 ng/mL) were low. In conclusion, CLCFDU had excellent accuracy to diagnose nonpregnancy in dairy cows on d 21 after insemination.