Assessment of Left Atrial Deformation and Function by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Healthy Dogs and Dogs With Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

open7noBackground: The assessment of left atrial (LA) function by 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) holds important clinical implications in human medicine. Few similar data are available in dogs. Objectives: To assess LA function by STE in dogs with and without myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), analyzing LA areas, systolic function, and strain. Animals: One hundred and fifty dogs were divided according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine classification of heart failure: 23 dogs in class A, 52 in class B1, 36 in class B2, and 39 in class C + D. Methods: Prospective observational study. Conventional morphologic and Doppler variables, LA areas, and STE-based LA strain analysis were performed in all dogs and results were compared among groups. Correlation analysis was carried out between LA STE variables and other echocardiographic variables. Results: Variability study showed good reproducibility for all the tested variables (coefficient of variation <16%). Left atrial areas, fractional area change, peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), peak atrial contraction strain, and contraction strain index (CSI) differed significantly between groups B2 and C + D and all the other groups (overall P < .001), whereas only PALS differed between groups B1 and A (P = .01). Left atrial areas increased with progression of the disease, whereas LA functional parameters decreased. Only CSI increased nonsignificantly from group A to group B1 and then progressively decreased. Thirty-one significant correlations (P < .001, r > .3) were found between conventional left heart echocardiographic variables and LA areas and strain variables. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Left atrial STE analysis provides useful information on atrial function in the dog, highlighting a progressive decline in atrial function with worsening of MMVD.openBaron Toaldo, M; Romito, G.; Guglielmini, C.; Diana, A.; Pelle, N.G.; Contiero, B.; Cipone, M.Baron Toaldo, M; Romito, G.; Guglielmini, C.; Diana, A.; Pelle, N.G.; Contiero, B.; Cipone, M

Prognostic value of echocardiographic indices of left atrial morphology and function in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

Background: The prognostic relevance of left atrial (LA) morphological and functional variables, including those derived from speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), has been little investigated in veterinary medicine. Objectives: To assess the prognostic value of several echocardiographic variables, with a focus on LA morphological and functional variables in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Animals: One-hundred and fifteen dogs of different breeds with MMVD. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Conventional morphologic and echo-Doppler variables, LA areas and volumes, and STE-based LA strain analysis were performed in all dogs. A survival analysis was performed to test for the best echocardiographic predictors of cardiac-related death. Results: Most of the tested variables, including all LA STE-derived variables were univariate predictors of cardiac death in Cox proportional hazard analysis. Because of strong correlation between many variables, only left atrium to aorta ratio (LA/Ao > 1.7), mitral valve E wave velocity (MV E vel > 1.3 m/s), LA maximal volume (LAVmax > 3.53 mL/kg), peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS < 30%), and contraction strain index (CSI per 1% increase) were entered in the univariate analysis, and all were predictors of cardiac death. However, only the MV E vel (hazard ratio [HR], 4.45; confidence interval [CI], 1.76-11.24; P <.001) and LAVmax (HR, 2.32; CI, 1.10-4.89; P =.024) remained statistically significant in the multivariable analysis. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The assessment of LA dimension and function provides useful prognostic information in dogs with MMVD. Considering all the LA variables, LAVmax appears the strongest predictor of cardiac death, being superior to LA/Ao and STE-derived variables

Character development citizenship programming as a school improvement plan option and the relationship to performance on state standardized tests and reduced incidence of negative student behaviors

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Isolation of Microsporum canis from the hair coat of pet dogs and cats belonging to owners diagnosed with M. canis tinea corporis

International audienceMicrosporum canis has been frequently isolated from human cases of tinea capitis and tinea corporis. The infection may be acquired from infected animals with cutaneous lesions but also from asymptomatic carriers or from the environment. As asymptomatic M. canis carriers are considered to be a critical factor in the epidemiology of dermatophytosis in humans, this study investigated the relationship between the presence of dermatophytes on the hair coats of dogs and cats without cutaneous lesions and the occurrence of the disease in their respective owners. A total of 136 dogs and 248 cats were sampled from January 1999 to January 2005. Seventy-eight animals (22 dogs and 56 cats) belonged to individuals affected by tinea corporis caused by M. canis and 306 (114 dogs and 192 cats) to individuals without dermatophytosis. Age, sex, breed, habitat and season were recorded for each animal and examined as potential risk factors. Dermatophytes were isolated from 20.5% of the dogs and 28.2% of the cats. Microsporum canis was isolated from 36.4% of dogs cohabiting with owners diagnosed with tinea corporis but it was never isolated from dogs whose owners had no lesions. By contrast, M. canis was isolated from 53.6% of cats cohabiting with owners diagnosed with tinea corporis and from 14.6% of cats whose owners had no signs of the disease. These results clearly indicate that both cats and dogs should be considered as a major source of pathogenic dermatophytes for humans even when they do not present clinical signs of dermatophytosis

Unusual presentation of aortic valve infective endocarditis in a dog: Aorto\u2010cavitary fistula, tricuspid valve endocarditis, and third\u2010degree atrioventricular block

A 2\u2010year\u2010old Boxer with a history of subaortic stenosis and immunosuppressant therapy developed aortic valve infective endocarditis. On echocardiographic examination with simultaneous electrocardiographic tracing, multiple uncommon periannular complications of the aortic valve endocarditis were found, including aorto\u2010cavitary fistula with diastolic left\u2010to\u2010right shunt, tricuspid valve endocarditis, and third\u2010degree atrioventricular block. Necropsy confirmed the above echocardiographic findings. Although aortic valve endocarditis represents a well\u2010known disease entity in dogs, the dynamic nature of this condition may allow development of complex and uncommon echocardiographic features

Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and left atrial strain imaging features of a dog with atrial flutter and third-degree atrioventricular block

A 14-year-old American Staffordshire terrier was presented for episodes of exercise-induced syncope. At admission, atrial flutter coupled to third-degree atrioventricular block was diagnosed electrocardiographically. On the second day of hospitalization, surface electrocardiogram revealed spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm with persistence of atrioventricular block. Complete transthoracic echocardiograms were performed after each electrocardiographic examination. The combined use of conventional echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging-based modalities allowed to investigate the atrial electromechanical correlation and function during typical atrial flutter and after its resolution

Frequency, body distribution, and population size of Malassezia species in healthy dogs and in dogs with localized cutaneous lesions

International audienceMalassezia species are commensal organisms of human and animal skin that occasionally act as opportunistic pathogens. The lipid-dependent species are associated with human skin disorders, whereas the non-lipid-dependent species (Malassezia pachydermatis) is considered as an opportunistic secondary pathogen affecting the canine skin surface and ear canal. This study evaluated the relationship between Malassezia yeasts, their population size, and the occurrence of skin lesions from healthy and skin-diseased dogs. The efficiency of cytological examination and fungal culture for Malassezia detection was also evaluated. From March 2002 to July 2003, 33 healthy dogs and 54 dogs with pruritic localized skin diseases were examined; skin swabs (1218) were collected from 7 anatomical sites for culture and cytological examination. Malassezia prevalence according to anatomical site and the agreement between cytological results and fungal cultures were statistically analyzed. Differences in mean colony forming unit counts between positive healthy and diseased dogs were evaluated using the Bonferroni test for post hoc pair-wise comparisons. In healthy dogs, Malassezia yeasts were most frequently isolated in the perianal and perioral areas. The frequency of isolation and population size of Malassezia species were higher in dogs with localized dermatitis, especially in affected areas, indicating a role for Malassezia in the occurrence of skin lesions. Malassezia pachydermatis was the species most commonly cultured from the skin and external ear canal of healthy and diseased dogs, isolation of lipid-dependent yeasts from healthy dogs was less frequent. Using fungal culture as the gold standard, cytological examination showed good relative specificity (95%) but very low relative sensitivity (30%)