Assessment of left ventricular size and function in horses using anatomical M-mode echocardiography.
Abstract: To study the applicability of anatomical M-mode (AMM) for assessment of left ventricular (LV) size and function in horses, evaluate agreement with conventional M-mode (CMM), determine reliability, and establish reference intervals for AMM measurements. Methods: 98 horses; 13.1 +/- 5.6 years; 538 +/- 78 kg. Methods: Two-dimensional and M-mode recordings were analyzed retrospectively. Standard LV dimensions and indices of LV function, including time intervals, were measured in CMM and compared with AMM studies in long-axis (lx) and short-axis (sx) views. Results: The percentages of measureable cycles were 99%, 97%, and 90% for routine LV studies in CMM(sx), AMM(sx), and AMM(lx) mode. For time intervals, >or= 93% of cycles could be measured using AMM compared to a maximum of 77% using CMM. AMM(sx) measurements agreed well with CMM(sx) measurements for LV studies; the agreement of AMM(lx) with CMM(sx) was markedly lower. The LV ejection time and the duration of electromechanical systole, but not the LV pre-ejection period and the index of myocardial performance, showed fair agreement between methods. Intraobserver and interobserver measurement variabilities were low for most variables. Conclusions: AMM can replace CMM for assessment of LV dimensions in horses, but is not recommended for measurement of time intervals.
Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2010-07-08 PubMed ID: 20615777DOI: 10.1016/j.jvc.2010.01.002Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research studied the usefulness and accuracy of anatomical M-mode (AMM) echocardiography in assessing the size and function of the left ventricle in horses. It also compared AMM to the more traditional method, conventional M-mode (CMM), and established some standard reference measurements for AMM.
Methodology
- The study involved 98 horses, all varying in age and weight, providing a good representation of the equine population.
- The researchers used two-dimensional and M-mode recordings, performing retrospective analysis on them.
- They used CMM echocardiography to capture standard dimensions and other indices of left ventricle function, and also measured these in the long-axis (lx) and short-axis (sx) views using AMM.
Results
- In terms of the proportion of measurable cycles, AMM performed better than CMM. For AMM, the percentages were 97% and 90% for short-axis and long-axis studies respectively, while it was 99% for routine LV studies in CMM.
- More than 93% of cycles could be measured by AMM for time intervals, outperforming CMM, which could measure a maximum of 77%.
- For LV measurements, the study found that AMM short-axis measurements agreed well with CMM short-axis measurements. However, the agreement between AMM long-axis and CMM short-axis was significantly lower.
- In terms of the variables measured, there were low variabilities in intraobserver and interobserver measurements for most of them, indicating good reliability.
- The left ventricular ejection time and duration of electromechanical systole had reasonable agreement between the AMM and CMM methods. There was less agreement for the left ventricular pre-ejection period and the index of myocardial performance.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that AMM can be effectively used to measure the dimensions of the left ventricle in horses and that it can be a viable replacement for CMM in such assessments.
- However, AMM is not recommended for measuring time intervals, based on the results of the study.
Cite This Article
APA
Grenacher PA, Schwarzwald CC.
(2010).
Assessment of left ventricular size and function in horses using anatomical M-mode echocardiography.
J Vet Cardiol, 12(2), 111-121.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvc.2010.01.002 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Echocardiography / veterinary
- Female
- Heart Ventricles / anatomy & histology
- Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Observer Variation
- Reference Values
- Reproducibility of Results
- Retrospective Studies
- Stroke Volume / physiology
- Systole / physiology
- Ventricular Function, Left / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Marzok M, Kandeel M, Babiker H, Alkhodair KM, Farag A, Ibrahim H, El-Ashker M, Alghuwainem Y, El-Khodery S. M-Mode Echocardiographic Measurements of Interventricular Septum, Left Ventricular Internal Diameter, and Left Ventricular Free-Wall Thickness in Normal Horses-A Meta-Analytical Study. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 23;13(5).
- Berthoud D, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular size and systolic function in Warmblood horses using linear measurements, area-based indices, and volume estimates: A retrospective database analysis. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jan;35(1):504-520.
- Trachsel DS, Giraudet A, Maso D, Hervé G, Hauri DD, Barrey E, Robert C. Relationships between body dimensions, body weight, age, gender, breed and echocardiographic dimensions in young endurance horses. BMC Vet Res 2016 Oct 10;12(1):226.
- Huesler IM, Mitchell KJ, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Atrial Size and Function in Warmblood Horses: Reference Intervals, Allometric Scaling, and Agreement of Different Echocardiographic Variables. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1241-52.
- Flethøj M, Schwarzwald CC, Haugaard MM, Carstensen H, Kanters JK, Olsen LH, Buhl R. Left Ventricular Function After Prolonged Exercise in Equine Endurance Athletes. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1260-9.
- Oestereicher MA, Ward CS, Schneltzer E, Marschall S, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Bou About G, Selloum M, Meziane H, Stewart M, Teboul L, Norris C, Pimm D, Kan M, López Gómez F, Wilson R, Monroy M, Pasha S, Zabrodska E, Prochazka J, Pajuelo Reguera D, Nichtova Z, Herault Y, Wells S, Parkinson H, Heaney JD, Sedlacek R, Gao X, Hrabe de Angelis M, Spielmann N. Establishing standardized transthoracic echocardiography reference ranges for mouse models: insights into the impact of anesthesia, sex, and age. Front Cardiovasc Med 2025;12:1695034.
- Wang T, Yang X, Ren W, Meng J, Yao X, Chu H, Yao R, Zhai M, Zeng Y. Multi-Omics Deciphers Divergent Mechanisms in Differentially Cardiac-Remodeled Yili Horses Under Conditions of Equivalent Power Output. Animals (Basel) 2025 Nov 9;15(22).
- Hellige M, Schröder C, Seehusen F, Cavalleri JM, Rohn K, Stadler P, Geburek F. Computed tomographic myelography of the cranial cervical spine in Warmblood horses with no spinal pathology-Inter- and intravertebral ratios and distribution of contrast columns in neutral and flexed cervical spine. Equine Vet J 2025 Sep;57(5):1375-1386.
- Honarjoo M, Hashemi-Asl SM, Dalir-Naghadeh B, Rostamzadeh A. Normal values of pulse wave Doppler echocardiography in healthy Ghezel sheep. Vet Res Forum 2025;16(4):229-234.
- Mendoza FJ, Buzon-Cuevas A, Aguilera-Aguilera R, Gonzalez-De Cara CA, De Las Heras A, Perez-Ecija A. Hemodynamic Response to Lipopolysaccharide Infusion and Effect of Meloxicam Administration on Cardiac Function in Donkeys. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 18;14(24).
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