Bovine vegetative valvular endocarditis in 5 cases was examined using echocardiography to determine its diagnostic capacities, and in addition, observations on the abnormality of the liver associated with heart failure were performed by ultrasonography. In 4 out of 5 cases, the vegetations revealed echogenic or "shaggy" masses of various sizes, and one of them also contained the cystic pattern. In the remaining one case, a vegetation demonstrated the pattern of acoustic reverberation reflecting microbubbles. The smallest vegetation which was detectable in this study was 0.5×1 cm in size. Due to its technical facility, two-dimensional echocardiography was more beneficial for detecting vegetations as compared with the M-mode technique, and it allowed easy estimation of the size, shape, attached portion and mobility of the vegetation. In addition, ventricular hyperkinesis and eccentric hypertrophy of the ventricle on the side with affected valve were recognized in the indirect echocardiographic findings in this disease. In Cases 1 and 2, the congested and enlarged liver with notably dilated hepatic veins was visualized in a wider area than in normal cattle. Ultrasonographically, the lower margin of the liver, whose parenchyma revealed a tightly packed and high-level echo pattern, was wide angled and somewhat roundish
