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Colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging in healthy cats and cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
H Koffas1, J Dukes-McEwan, B M Corcoran
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Midlothian, EH25 9RG.
Insights
Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy exhibit reduced myocardial velocity gradients during both systole and diastole. Colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging effectively distinguishes diseased from healthy myocardium in these feline patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Veterinary Medicine
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common cardiac disease in cats.
- Understanding the biomechanical changes in HCM is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Myocardial velocity gradients offer insights into cardiac function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate diastolic and systolic myocardial velocity gradients in feline HCM.
- To compare these gradients between normal cats and those with HCM.
- To assess the utility of colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging in HCM detection.
Main Methods:
- Colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging was employed.
- Myocardial velocity gradients and mean myocardial velocities were measured.
- The study included 20 normal cats and 17 cats with naturally occurring HCM.
Main Results:
- Cats with HCM showed significantly reduced peak myocardial velocity gradients during early diastole (E1, E2, Emax) and early systole (Se).
- Affected cats also had lower peak mean myocardial velocities during isovolumic periods (IVRb, IVCb).
- Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences between HCM and normal groups (P<0.001 to P=0.006).
Conclusions:
- Feline HCM is characterized by decreased myocardial velocity gradients in both systole and diastole.
- Altered myocardial motion during isovolumic periods is evident in HCM.
- Colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging is a valuable tool for differentiating healthy from diseased myocardium in HCM cats.
Objectives:
To determine whether decreased diastolic and systolic myocardial velocity gradient between the endocardium and the epicardium exist in the left ventricle of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Methods:
Myocardial velocity gradient and mean myocardial velocities were measured by colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging in the left ventricular free wall of 20 normal cats and 17 cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Results:
The peak myocardial velocity gradient (sec(-1)) during the first (E1) (5.71+/-1.75 versus 11.38+/-3.1, P<0.001) and second phase (E2) (3.09+/-1.53 versus 7.02+/-3.1, P=0.005) of early diastole and also the maximum early diastolic myocardial velocity gradient (Emax) (6.12+/-2.1 versus 10.76+/-3.2, P<0.001) were reduced in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy compared with normal cats. Peak myocardial velocity gradient during early systole (Se) was lower in affected cats than in normal cats (6.26+/-2.08 versus 8.67+/-2.83, P=0.006). Affected cats had a lower peak mean myocardial velocities (mm/s) during the two isovolumic periods (IVRb and IVCb) compared with normal cats (2.97+/-6.76 versus 12.74+/-5.5 and 22.28+/-9.96 versus 38.65+/-10.1, P<0.001, respectively).
Clinical Significance:
This study shows that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cats have decreased myocardial velocity gradient during both diastole and systole and also altered myocardial motion during the two isovolumic periods. Myocardial velocity gradients recorded by colour M-mode tissue Doppler imaging can discriminate between the healthy and diseased myocardium.
