title: Use of contrast echocardiography for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion and pulmonary transit time in healthy dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate reproducibility of ejection fraction (EF), myocardial perfusion (MP), and pulmonary transit time (PTT) measured in a group of dogs by use of contrast echocardiography and to examine safety of this method by evaluating cardiac troponin I concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  6 healthy dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  2 bolus injections and a constant rate infusion of contrast agent were administered IV. Echocardiographic EF was determined by use of the area-length method and was calculated without and with contrast agent. The PTT and normalized PTT (PTT/mean R-R interval) were measured for each bolus. Constant rate infusion was used for global MP evaluation, and regional MP was calculated by use of a real-time method in 4 regions of interest of the left ventricle. Cardiac troponin I concentration was analyzed before and after contrast agent administration. Intraoberserver and interobserver variability was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EF was easier to determine with the ultrasonographic contrast agent. For the first and second bolus, mean ± SD PTT was 1.8 ± 0.2 seconds and 2.1 ± 0.3 seconds and normalized PTT was 3.4 ± 0.3 seconds and 3.5 ± 0.3 seconds, respectively. A coefficient of variation < 15% was obtained for global MP but not for the regional MPs. No differences were detected between precontrast and postcontrast cardiac troponin I concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrast echocardiography appeared to be a repeat-able and safe technique for use in the evaluation of global MP and PTT in healthy dogs, and it improved delineation of the endocardial border in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Pathology, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy. se.crosara@gmail.com
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crosara
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ljungvall
authors.forename: Marco L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Margiocco
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Häggström
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarducci
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgarelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D045423:Microbubbles; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media