Doppler echocardiographic prediction of pulmonary hypertension in West Highland white terriers with chronic pulmonary disease.
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is commonly diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography (DE) of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). However, TR may be absent or difficult to measure.


OBJECTIVE
Doppler-derived systolic time intervals of pulmonary artery (PA) flow may be used to predict PH in dogs.


METHODS
Seventy-three healthy dogs and 45 West Highland white terriers (WHWT) with interstitial pulmonary disease (IPD).


METHODS
Echocardiographic studies, including determination of right ventricular acceleration time (AT), ejection time (ET), and AT : ET ratio; right ventricular shortening fraction (RV-SF); and TR velocity, were performed. Pulmonary hypertension was defined by TR >3.1 m/s.


RESULTS
In healthy WHWT, AT (median, range) was 73 ms (53 to 104) and AT : ET was 0.40 (0.28 to 0.55). AT : ET was minimally affected by age (R2 = 0.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.07, P < .001) but not by heart rate, body weight, or RV-SF. In all WHWT with TR, AT and AT : ET were inversely related to calculated systolic PA pressure (R2 = 0.52, 95% CI 0.42-0.62, P < .001 and R2 = 0.36, 95% CI 0.29-0.42, P = .001). Clinical cutoffs to predict systolic PH were defined for AT (58 ms; sensitivity [Se] 88% and specificity [Sp] 80%) and AT : ET (0.31; Se 73% and Sp 87%).


CONCLUSIONS
PH is common in WHWT with IPD. Analysis of right ventricular AT and AT : ET may be predictive of PH and should be particularly useful if TR is absent.
Schober
Karsten E
KE
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA. schober.4@osu.edu
Baade
Hanno
H
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests