Comparisons of 3-, 2-dimensional, and M-mode echocardiographical methods for estimation of left chamber volumes in dogs with and without acquired heart disease.
BACKGROUND
Real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3D) is a recent technique based on volumetric scanning, eliminating the need for geometric modeling of the cardiac chambers and minimizing the errors caused by foreshortened views.


OBJECTIVE
Estimations of left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV), and left atrial (LA) size, differ depending on the echocardiographic technique of estimation.


METHODS
Fifty-one dogs with acquired heart disease and 34 healthy control dogs.


METHODS
Prospective observational study by M-mode (Teichholz method), Simpson's modified 2-dimensional (2D) method, and RT3D methods for estimation of LV volumes. LA size was evaluated by 2D and RT3D methods.


RESULTS
RT3D showed good agreement with 2D for EDV and ESV, whereas Teichholz method overestimated LV volumes in comparison with the other 2 methods by approximately a factor 2. There were no statistically significant differences among the 3 methods in estimating ejection fraction. Comparison between RT3D assessment of LA end-systolic volume per kilogram (LAs/kg) and LA to aortic ratio (LA/Ao) measured by 2D relative to each other showed that the RT3D method underestimated LAs/kg at lower values, and overestimated it at higher values. The difference between methods increased with increasing LA size.


CONCLUSIONS
There was good agreement between RT3D and 2D methods of estimating EDV and ESV, whereas the Teichholz method overestimated LV volumes by approximately a factor 2. In comparison with RT3D, LA/Ao underestimated LA size, especially when LA was enlarged.
Tidholm
A
A
Albano Animal Hospital, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. anna.tidholm@gmail.com
Westling
A B
AB
Höglund
K
K
Ljungvall
I
I
Häggström
J
J
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male