Diagnostic value of contrast echocardiography in the horse

Abstract

Summary M‐mode echocardiography is a safe and practical means of using ultrasound to evaluate the dynamic movements of cardiac structures. The technique can be refined by using a simple contrast medium in the form of carbon dioxide mixed with heparinised blood to provide a strong echogenic result. This technique was employed in a series of 15 normal conscious standing horses and in three animals with specific cardiac defects. In the clinical cases it was possible to confirm the diagnosis and differentiate between a congenital septal defect and mitral regurgitation. The method was found to be safe and relatively simple to perform using percutaneous insertion of catheters. The intracardiac catheterisation was trouble free and no clinical side effects to direct injection of the carbon dioxide contrast medium into the heart were demonstrated.

Review Article: Heart murmurs in horses: determining their significance with echocardiography

“…Although continuous wave Doppler echocardiography can be used to estimate pressure differences between left atrium and ventricle, the ultrasound beam needs to be positioned parallel to the regurgitant jet (+ or -20") or large errors are introduced into the calculation; a major problem in most horses with mitral regurgitation (Reef 1988a, 199 la,b). Contrast echocardiography has also demonstrated the severity of mitral regurgitation but requires a left ventricular injection to document the mitral regurgitation (Bonagura and Pipers 1983;Kvart et al 1985) .…”

“…1974;Glazier et a/. 1975;Lombard et al 1983;Kvart et al 1985;Pipers et al 1985;Reef 1985bReef , 1991~. 1995.…”

Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiographic measurements of cardiac dimensions in healthy Standardbred trotters

“…Reports included M-mode measurements of normal cardiac dimensions in foals, adult horses and ponies, and described the value of M-mode echocardiography in the diagnosis of many cardiac diseases (Bayly et al, 1982;Lombard et al, 1983;Lescure and Tamzali, 1984;Stewart et al, 1984;O'Callaghan, 1985;Kvart et al, 1985;Reef, 1985). Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography (2DE) was introduced into equine medicine in the mid-1980s (Bonagura et al, 1985;Carlsten, 1987).…”

Intravascular Ultrasound Contrast Media

“…The first results in contrast ultrasonography were obtained with improvised preparations. Air bubbles-containing carrier solutions such as saline, the patient's own blood, dextrose, Indocyanin green dye or iodinated contrast me-dial% 15 were obtained by hand-agitation or turbulent foaming between two syringes. These free gas bubbles represent the simplest form of ultrasound contrast media and are very efficient scatterers.…”