title: Transesophageal echocardiography of the left ventricular outflow tract, aortic valve and ascending aorta in Boxer dogs with heart murmurs.
abstract: The study was aimed at evaluating the anatomy of the left ventricular outflow tract, aortic valve, and ascending aorta by means of multiplane transesophageal echocardiography in Boxer dogs with left basilar heart murmurs and at comparing two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic to transesophageal echocardiography for the diagnosis of subaortic stenosis in this breed. Twenty-eight Boxers were included in the study and allocated to four groups according to physical and routine transthoracic 2D and Doppler echocardiography findings: group A--dogs with low grade (I-II/VI) heart murmurs without overt evidence of aortic stenosis (14 dogs); group B--dogs with type 1 subaortic stenosis (seven dogs); group C--dogs with type 2 subaortic stenosis (five dogs); group D--dogs with type 3 subaortic stenosis (two dogs). Anatomic lesions were not discovered by transesophageal echocardiography in dogs belonging to group A. Transesophageal imaging confirmed the type of subaortic stenosis, as graded by transthoracic echocardiography, in diseased animals (groups BCD). Morphologic information obtained by transesophageal echocardiography in Boxer dogs was similar to that obtained by transthoracic echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. cecilia.quintavalla@unipr.it
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quintavalla
authors.forename: Danitza
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pradelli
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Domenech
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bussadori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004285:Dogs; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006337:Heart Murmurs / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests