Contrast Enhancement Ultrasonography in small animal
medicine.
Small animal cardiovascular medicine.
2) cardiovascular medicine:
During the last few years several studies have been performed in
human patients focusing on the assessment of atrial function using
advanced echocardiographic techniques, such as pulsed TDI, color
TDI, strain and SR, and STE (Thomas 2003; Di Salvo 2005; Quintana
2005; Sirbu 2005; Boyd AC, 2011, Rondano 2012;). On these studies
the evaluation of systolic and diastolic atrial function, and the
analysis of electromechanical properties and time intervals by
trans-thoracic echocardiography have been shown to be a feasible
and reproducible tool in normal people and in patients with
underlying heart disease. In particular the study of atrial
function by TDI and STE appears to be a sensitive technique in
predicting the recurrence of atrial fibrillarion after
cardioversion in people, and in predicting left atrial dysfunction
in patients with ischemic and mitral valve diseases (Khankirawatana
2004; Guerlertop 2004; Di Salvo 2005; Shin 2009; Rondano 2010;
Tayyareci 2010). In dogs and cats, TDI and strain modalities have
been used to assess both left and right ventricular function in
normal and pathologic conditions, in order to estimate intracardiac
pressures, myocardial dysfunction, to diagnose cardiomyopathies and
to measure intra- and inter-ventricular dyssyncrony (Chetboul 2002,
2005, 2006, Estrada Chetboul 2006; Sampedrano 2006, Serres 2006,
MacDonald 2006, Chetboul 2007, 2007b; Tidholm 2009, Koffas
2008, Wess 2012, Griffiths 2011). However on the
authors' knowledge, studies focused on the assessment of left
atrial function by TDI, strain and SR lack in small animal
cardiology. The purpose of the present study is to assess the
feasibility and reproducibility of TDI derived velocity, strain and
SR of the LA in a group of healthy dogs, and to determine the
normal ranges for some atrial TDI variables and intra-atrial
synchrony.
