J Vet Sci.  2018 Sep;19(5):683-692. 10.4142/jvs.2018.19.5.683.

Quantitative assessment of systolic and diastolic right ventricular function by echocardiography and speckle-tracking imaging: a prospective study in 104 dogs

• Chetboul V
• Damoiseaux C
• Lefebvre H
• Concordet
• Desquilbet L
• Gouni V
• Poissonnier C
• Pouchelon
• Tissier R

• KMID: 2420938
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2018.19.5.683

Abstract

Our aim was (1) to determine the within-day and between-day variability of several indices of systolic and diastolic right ventricular (RV) function by using conventional echocardiography and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) (Study 1), (2) to quantify these variables in a large healthy canine population (n = 104) with Doppler-derived estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP) and left ventricular (LV) function, and (3) to establish the corresponding reference intervals (Study 2). For both studies, RV variables included tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), right fractional area change (RFAC), STE longitudinal systolic strain (StS) of the RV free wall (RVFW) and of the entire RV (i.e., global RV StS), STE longitudinal systolic RVFW strain rate (SRS), and the diastolic early:late strain rate ratio. All but one within- and between-day coefficients of variation (13/14) were < 15%, the lowest being observed for TAPSE (3.6-9.8%), global RV StS (3.8-9.9%), and RVFW StS (3.7-7.3%). SPAP was weakly and negatively correlated with the TAPSE:body weight ratio (r(s) = −0.26, p = 0.01) and RVFW SRS (r(s) = −0.23, p < 0.05). Reference intervals (lower and upper limits with 90% confidence intervals) were provided for all variables. STE provides a non-invasive evaluation of RV function that may be used for clinical investigations in canine cardiology.

Keyword

diastole; heart; myocardium; systole

MeSH Terms

Animals
Arterial Pressure
Cardiology
Diastole
Dogs*
Echocardiography*
Heart
Myocardium
Prospective Studies*
Systole
Ventricular Function, Right*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Representative speckle-tracking imaging examination performed for this study. (A) Representative longitudinal right ventricular (RV) strain profiles obtained from 3 segments (i.e., basal, middle, and apical) of the RV free wall (RVFW). The “VA Ferm” corresponds to pulmonary valve closure and the dotted line to the RVFW mean strain (RVFW systolic strain [StS]) curve over time. The corresponding color map below displays the change in strain over time in each RVFW segment during a single cardiac cycle. (B) Representative longitudinal RV strain rate profiles obtained from 3 segments (i.e., basal, middle, and apical) of the RVFW. The “VA Ferm” corresponds to pulmonary valve closure. The corresponding color map below displays the change in strain rate over time in each RVFW segment during a single cardiac cycle. SRS, systolic strain rate of the RVFW; SRE, early strain rate of the RVFW; SRA, late diastolic strain rate of the RVFW. (C) Representative calculations of the global RV StS and the global left ventricular (LV) StS. The global RV StS was assessed by averaging the 3 RVFW and the 3 interventricular septal (IVS) peak StS values. The global LV StS was assessed by averaging the 3 IVS and the 3 LV free wall (LVFW) peak StS values. RA, right atrium; LA, left atrium.

• 

  Fig. 2 Box plots showing absolute values of right ventricular (RV) free wall systolic strain (RVFW Strain), global RV systolic strain (Global RV Strain) and global left ventricular (LV) systolic strain (Global LV Strain). The box represents the interquartile range, with the median indicated by the horizontal line. The whiskers extend from the minimum to the maximum values, excluding outliers that are presented by circles or extreme outliers that are presented by asterisk.

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