Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 16
Preliminary Evaluation of M-Mode, B-Mode,
and X-Strain
®
Echocardiographic Indices
Before and During Therapy in Dogs Affected
by Dilated Cardiomyopathy
A. Fruganti, M. Cerquetella, I. Copponi, A. Spaterna, and B. Tesei
Abstract Clinical examination and m-mode, b-mode, and two-dimensional
speckle tracking evaluations with X-Strain
®
software were carried out in two
dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy before and during therapy. During follow-up,
the two dogs presented not only in better clinical condition, but also with
improvements in m-mode and b-mode indices, as well as increased values of strain
and strain rate. Consequently, X-Strain
®
evaluation should be included in routine
echocardiography to better understand the pathogenesis and evolution of disease
characterized by reduced myocardial contractility, optimize the therapeutic proto-
col during follow-up, and contribute to finding the range of normal values for strain
and strain rate in the dog.
Keywords Dilated cardiomyopathy • Dog • Echocardiography • Strain • Strain rate
16.1
Introduction
Echocardiography is the most valid technique for the evaluation of myocardial
function, both in humans and in veterinary medicine. In detail, ultrasonography
allows an estimation of ventricular contractility and the dimensions of the cardiac
chambers through an evaluation of different specific indices. Nevertheless, it should
be considered that “traditional” ultrasonographic techniques (i.e., m-mode and
b-mode) do not allow a correct estimation of the complex mechanism of cardiac
contraction. During systolic and diastolic activities, because of the particular
disposition of the bundles, the myocardial motion is indeed performed in three
different directions: radial, longitudinal, and circumferential (Buckberg
2002
). The
“traditional” ultrasound techniques allow an evaluation of the morphological radial
A. Fruganti (
*
) • M. Cerquetella • I. Copponi • A. Spaterna • B. Tesei
School of Veterinary Medical Science, State University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy
e-mail:
alessandro.fruganti@unicam.it
