Reference range values of regional left ventricular myocardial velocities and time intervals assessed by tissue Doppler imaging in young nonsedated Maine Coon cats.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and analyze the left ventricular free wall (LVFW) radial and longitudinal motions in a population of healthy Maine Coon cats by use of quantitative 2-dimensional color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).


METHODS
23 healthy young Maine Coon cats (mean +/- SD: age, 2.1 +/- 0.9 years; weight, 5.0 +/- 1.0 kg).


METHODS
TDI was performed by the same trained observer (VC) on all cats. Radial LVFW velocities were recorded in endocardial and epicardial LVFW segments, and longitudinal velocities were recorded in the mitral annulus and in basal and apical LVFW segments. Isovolumic contraction and relaxation times were calculated in each myocardial segment, and the coefficients of variation (CVs; %) were determined for each TDI parameter.


RESULTS
LVFW velocities were significantly higher in the endocardial layers than in the epicardial layers and also significantly higher in the basal than in the apical segments. Annular velocities were significantly higher than basal myocardial velocities in systole and early diastole. Coefficient of variation values were lower for radial velocities, particularly in systole, and were also lower for time intervals (16% to 22%) than for myocardial velocities (19% to 62%).


CONCLUSIONS
Because Maine Coon cats are predisposed to an inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a common cause of death in this breed, TDI could provide a useful tool for early detection of the disease. Tissue Doppler imaging indices may complete the conventional analysis of the left ventricular function in Maine Coon cats. However, the usefulness of TDI indices in the early detection of myocardial dysfunction needs to be clarified.
Chetboul
Valerie
V
Unite de Cardiologie d'Alfort, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, France.
Sampedrano
Carolina Carlos
CC
Tissier
Renaud
R
Gouni
Vassiliki
V
Nicolle
Audrey P
AP
Pouchelon
Jean-Louis
JL
D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000662:veterinary*; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000662:veterinary*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*