title: Mitral valve morphology assessed by three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in healthy dogs and dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess differences in morphology of the mitral valve (MV) between healthy dogs and dogs affected by myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) using real-time transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four were normal dogs and 79 dogs were affected by MMVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Real-time transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography mitral datasets were digitally recorded and analyzed using dedicated software. The following variables were obtained and compared between healthy dogs and dogs with MMVD at different stages: antero-posterior annulus diameter, anterolateral-posteromedial annulus diameter, commissural diameter, annulus height, annulus circumference, annulus area, anterior leaflet length, anterior leaflet area, posterior leaflet length, posterior leaflet area, non-planar angle, annulus sphericity index, tenting height, tenting area, tenting volume, the ratio of annulus height and commissural diameter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dogs with MMVD had a more circular MV annulus compared to healthy dogs as demonstrated by an increased annulus sphericity index (p=0.0179). Affected dogs had a less saddle-shaped MV manifest as a decreased annulus height to commissural width ratio (p=0.0004). Tenting height (p<0.0001), area (p<0.0001), and volume (p<0.0001) were less in affected dogs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Real-time transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography analysis demonstrated that dogs affected by MMVD had a more circular and less saddle-shaped MV annulus, as well as reduced tenting height area and volume, compared to healthy dogs. Multiple variables differed between dogs at different stages of MMVD. Diagnostic and prognostic utility of these variables, and the significance of these changes in the pathogenesis and natural history of MMVD, require further attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Electronic address: gmencio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menciotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aherne
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wesselowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Häggström
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ljungvall
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lahmers
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Abbott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Degeneration; Diagnostic imaging; Heart