Modified transvenous endomyocardial biopsy technique in dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Cardiology
• Cardiovascular Research
• Animal Models of Heart Disease

Background:

• Dilated cardiomyopathy is a serious heart condition in dogs.
• Accurate diagnosis often requires myocardial tissue analysis.
• Current biopsy methods may have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a transvenous endomyocardial biopsy technique for the canine right ventricle.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of this technique in healthy dogs and those with dilated cardiomyopathy.
• To compare the performance of available biopsy instruments.

Main Methods:

• A transvenous endomyocardial biopsy technique was performed on 22 healthy dogs and 42 dogs with congestive heart failure.
• Dogs were positioned in lateral recumbency.
• Biopsy instruments were evaluated for efficacy and complication rates.

Main Results:

• The technique successfully obtained multiple right ventricular biopsy specimens in most dogs (22/22 healthy, 40/42 with heart failure).
• Transvenous access was not achieved in 2 dogs, but left ventricular biopsy was successful.
• Complications were infrequent, with all dogs recovering within 48 hours.
• No significant differences in efficacy or complications were found between the two biopsy instruments.

Conclusions:

• Transvenous endomyocardial biopsy of the right ventricle is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure in dogs.
• This technique facilitates obtaining myocardial samples for diagnosing heart disease.
• The findings support the use of this minimally invasive approach in canine cardiology.