Quantification, repeatability, and reproducibility of feline radial and longitudinal left ventricular velocities by tissue Doppler imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the radial and longitudinal velocities of several myocardial segments of the left ventricular wall by use of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in healthy cats and determine the repeatability and reproducibility of the technique.


METHODS
6 healthy cats.


METHODS
72 TDI examinations were performed on 4 days by the same trained observer. Radial parameters included left endocardial and epicardial myocardial velocities. Longitudinal parameters included left basal, middle, and apical myocardial velocities.


RESULTS
All velocity profiles had 1 positive systolic wave (S) and 2 negative diastolic waves (E and A). Myocardial velocities were higher in the endocardial than epicardial segments during the entire cardiac cycle (systolic wave S, 4.4 +/- 0.82 and 1.9 +/- 0.55; diastolic wave E, 9.7 +/- 1.70 and 2.2 +/- 0.74; and diastolic wave A, 5.1 +/- 1.56 and 1.4 +/- 0.76, respectively). Velocities were also higher in the basal than in the apical segments (systolic wave S, 4.7 +/- 0.76 and 0.2 +/- 0.11; diastolic wave E, 9.7 +/- 1.36 and 0.5 +/- 0.17; and diastolic wave A, 3.7 +/- 1.51 and 0.2 +/- 0.13, respectively). The lowest within-day and between-day coefficients of variation were observed in endocardial segments (8.2% and 6.5% for systolic wave S and diastolic wave E, respectively) and in the basal segment in protodiastole (5.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Repeatability and reproducibility of TDI were adequate for measurement of longitudinal and radial left ventricular motion in healthy awake cats. Validation of TDI is a prerequisite before this new technique can be recommended for clinical use.
Chetboul
Valérie
V
Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 7 Avenue du General de Gaulle, 94 704 Maisons-Alfort cedex, France.
Athanassiadis
Nicolas
N
Carlos
Carolina
C
Nicolle
Audrey P
AP
Tissier
Renaud
R
Pouchelon
Jean-Louis
JL
Concordet
Didier
D
Lefebvre
Hervé P
HP
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000662:veterinary*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*