Vertebral Heart Scale for the Brittany Spaniel: Breed-Specific Range and Its Correlation with Heart Disease Assessed by Clinical and Echocardiographic Findings.

Anthony Kallassy,Nora Bouhsina,Marion Fusellier,Elodie Calendrier

doi:10.3390/vetsci8120300

Abstract

The vertebral heart scale (VHS) was proposed by Buchanan and Bucheler as an objective method for estimating heart size in dogs. However, several studies have reported significant variation between breeds. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the VHS and to suggest a useful upper limit for normal heart size in Brittany Spaniels. The VHS was measured using a right lateral view in twenty-eight normal dogs and fifteen dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. The mean ± SD (standard deviation) VHS was 10.6 ± 0.2 vertebrae (v) in the normal dogs, which differs significantly from the mean VHS of 9.7 ± 0.5 v in Buchanan’s original study with dogs of various breeds. The VHS in the dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease was 11.9 ± 1.1 v. With a threshold value of 11.1 vertebrae, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for diagnosing a cardiomegaly are 90%, 72%, 53% and 96%, respectively.

Highlights

Despite the advent of echocardiography, thoracic radiography remains a frequently used tool for the evaluation of heart size in veterinary medicine
Thirty-one dogs were included in the control group and twenty-two were included in the cardiac disease group as they suffered from a cardiac disease
Findings indicate that Brittany Spaniels have a mean vertebral heart score (VHS) larger than the values reported by Buchanan and Bucheler in the general canine population

Summary

Introduction

Despite the advent of echocardiography, thoracic radiography remains a frequently used tool for the evaluation of heart size in veterinary medicine. It is an integral part of the management of cardiac disease, as the criteria for heart enlargement used for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) classification for myxomatous mitral valve disease, including the breed-adjusted radiographic vertebral score [1,2]. Methods using planimetry and cardiothoracic ratio have been described to evaluate heart size with the aim of maximizing the accuracy of radiographic diagnosis [2,3]. The vertebral heart score (VHS) measurement has been reported to be a more objective method than a traditionally used method for assessing cardiomegaly in dogs. As the VHS was

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Discussion

Conclusion