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Physiological valvular regurgitation in clinically normal young racehorses: prevalence and two-dimensional colour
1Department of Clinical Veterinary Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania 19348, USA.
Insights
Color flow Doppler echocardiography revealed small regurgitant jets in many normal horses, similar to other species. This advanced imaging technique helps identify subtle cardiac flow variations in equine cardiology.
Area of Science:
- Equine cardiology
- Veterinary echocardiography
- Cardiovascular imaging
Background:
- Cardiac murmurs are common in horses but often functional.
- Standard echocardiographic methods may not detect subtle valve abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of color flow Doppler echocardiography in assessing normal equine cardiac function.
- To characterize normal flow patterns and identify minor regurgitant jets in horses.
Main Methods:
- Color flow Doppler echocardiography was performed on 15 healthy horses (10 Thoroughbreds, 5 Standardbreds).
- Standard two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography were also conducted.
- Flow patterns and presence of regurgitant jets were analyzed at multiple cardiac sites.
Main Results:
- While most flow was laminar, variance was noted in the right ventricular outflow tract.
- Small aortic valve regurgitant jets were detected in 80% of horses.
- Tricuspid valve regurgitation was seen in 46%, pulmonary in 26%, and mitral in 26%.
Conclusions:
- Color flow Doppler echocardiography can detect small regurgitant jets in a significant proportion of normal horses.
- These findings are comparable to those in other animal species.
- The technique provides valuable insights into subtle cardiac hemodynamics in equine populations.
Abstract:
Colour flow Doppler echocardiographic examinations were performed on 15 horses; 10 Thoroughbreds and 5 Standardbreds; 9 mares, 5 geldings and 1 stallion; mean +/- s.d. 3.4 +/- 1.1 years. Cardiac murmurs were audible in 12 horses (80%), but these had characteristics consistent with functional murmurs in all horses. A standardised two-dimensional (2-D) and M-mode echocardiographic examination was unremarkable in all horses except that aortic valve prolapse was identified in 3 horses, tricuspid valve prolapse in 2 horses and mitral valve prolapse was present in one horse. Colour flow Doppler echocardiography revealed laminar antegrade flow in most sites but variance was noted in the right ventricular outflow tract in some horses. Small regurgitant jets associated with the aortic valve were seen in 12 horses (80%), with the tricuspid valve in 7 horses (46%), with the pulmonary valve in 4 horses (26%) and the mitral valve in 4 horses (26%). It was concluded that with colour flow Doppler echocardiography, as in other species, small regurgitant jets could be detected in many normal horses.