Echocardiography and conventional Doppler examination in clinically healthy adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: effect of body weight, age, and gender, and establishment of reference intervals.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the potential effect of body weight (BW), age, and gender on the most commonly used echocardiographic and conventional Doppler variables in a large population of healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS), and (2) to establish the corresponding reference intervals (RI).


METHODS
134 healthy adult CKCS.


METHODS
Ultrasound examinations were performed by trained observers in awake dogs. M-mode variables included left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters, LV free wall and interventricular septal thicknesses at end-diastole and end-systole, and LV fractional shortening (FS%). The left atrium (LA) and aortic (Ao) diameters were measured using a 2D method, and the LA/Ao was calculated. Pulsed-wave Doppler variables included peak systolic aortic and pulmonary flow velocities, mitral E and A waves, and E/A ratio. Effects of BW, age, and gender on these 15 variables were tested using a general linear model, and RIs were determined by applying the statistical procedures recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.


RESULTS
A significant BW effect was observed for all variables, except LA/Ao, FS%, and mitral E/A ratio. A significant but negligible effect of gender and age was also observed for 5/15 and 4/15 of the tested variables, respectively. Only the BW effect on M-mode variables was considered as clinically relevant and the corresponding regression-based RIs were calculated.


CONCLUSIONS
Body weight should be taken into account when interpreting echocardiographic values in CKCS, except for LA/Ao, FS%, and mitral E/A ratio.
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Charlotte
C
Misbach
Unité de Recherche Clinique, Université de Toulouse, INP, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, F-31076 Toulouse Cedex 03, France.
Hervé P
HP
Lefebvre
UMR 1331 Toxalim, INRA, Université de Toulouse, INP, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, F-31076 Toulouse Cedex 03, France.
Didier
D
Concordet
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Vassiliki
V
Gouni
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Emilie
E
Trehiou-Sechi
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Amandine M P
AM
Petit
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Cécile
C
Damoiseaux
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
Alice
A
Leverrier
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France; INSERM, U955, Equipe 03, 51 avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France.
Jean-Louis
JL
Pouchelon
Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Unité de Cardiologie d'Alfort (UCA), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire d'Alfort (CHUVA), 7 avenue du général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France; INSERM, U955, Equipe 03, 51 avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France. Electronic address: vchetboul@vet-alfort.fr.
Valérie
V
Chetboul
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
Canine; Cardiac; Dog; Heart; Ultrasound