A 3 month old Sheltie female pup presents for vaccination. The physical examination reveals a continuous heart murmur. This finding alone is usually sufficient to indicate the existence of Patent Ductus Arteriosus. The EKG reveals marked left ventricular and left atrial enlargement. Thoracic radiographs reveal left ventricular and left atrial enlargement and pulmonary venous congestion and pulmonary edema.
Is there any use for Echocardiography in this disorder?
Echocardiography is useful to:
- confirm the presence of Patent Ductus Arteriosus,
- help rule out the presence of other concurrent disorders.
The Two-dimensional examination reveals enlargement of the left ventricle and left atrium. It is still uncertain as to how frequently the ductus arteriosus itself can be visualized. The M-mode Echocardiographic study does not increase our understanding of this disorder.
The Doppler Echocardiographic study reveals the presence of turbulence in the main pulmonary artery which occurs in both systole and diastole. This picture of turbulence in the main pulmonary artery is similar to that seen with pulmonic stenosis, however with pulmonic stenosis this pattern of turbulence is noted only in systole. Furthermore, the Doppler Echocardiographic examination is ideal to identify the co-existence of other congenital cardiac disorders.