Quantitative study of some echocardiographic measures in Colombian Creole horses

Abstract

Echocardiography is considered a tool of great diagnostic value in the evaluation of cardiac anatomy and function, as it allows to non-invasively visualize aspects such as heart valve thickness and interventricular septum thickness, in addition to the possibility of measuring the dimensions of the heart chambers. This study aimed to determine some quantitative characteristics of echocardiograms taken in 60 Colombian Creole horses (CCH) of any sex, age, and weight. Images were obtained by two-dimensionally-guided M-mode echocardiography, in plane three, fourth intercostal space on the right parasternal area. The following parameters were evaluated: LVDd (left ventricular diameter in diastole), LVDs (left ventricular diameter in systole), IVSd (interventricular septum in diastole), ISVs (interventricular septum in systole), LVPWd (left ventricular posterior wall in diastole), LVPWs (left ventricular posterior wall in systole), EF (ejection fraction), FS (fractional shortening), and LVM (left ventricular mass). For data analysis, age groups were formed. Depending on data distribution, the study analyzed: mean and standard deviation, and median and percentiles (SPSS 21.0 software). This work makes an important contribution for those occasions when it is necessary to use echocardiography to validate the information obtained in clinical examination or in case of suspected heart disease in CCHs.