Echocardiographic Assessment of 537 Dogs With Mitral Valve Prolapse and Leaflet Involvement

Abstract

In this work we investigated which mitral valve leaflet was most often involved in mitral valve prolapse with degenerative mitral valve disease and whether there was an association with breed, age, gender, or weight. Five hundred and thirty-seven dogs with mitral valve prolapse-degenerative mitral valve disease were assessed; the cross-breed dog was the most represented breed (248 dogs, 46.2%). Mitral valve prolapse was more common in male dogs, and the average age was 11.3 +/- 2.8 years. Prolapse of the anterior leaflet was present in 48.4% of dogs, prolapse of the the posterior leaflet in 7.1%, and bileaflet prolapse was present in 44.5%; this distribution is different than that typically found in humans. There was a significant correlation between severity of mitral regurgitation and severity of mitral valve prolapse or ISACHC class, and between severity of mitral valve prolapse and ISACHC class. There was no relationship between the particular affected leaflet(s) and severity of mitral regurgitation, severity of mitral valve prolapse, or ISACHC class. Our findings suggest that the susceptibility to the mitral valve prolapse-degenerative mitral valve disease is not confined to a specific breeds and that the specific leaflet prolapsing is different in dogs compared with humans.

Echocardiographic assessment of canine degenerative mitral valve disease

“…I e Data available in Supplemental Data on-line), are also common echocardiographic findings. 30,31 In one recent study involving 537 dogs with MVD and mitral valve prolapse, a significant correlation was found between the severity of mitral valve prolapse and MR severity as well as the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) class. 31 Prolapse of the anterior leaflet was present in 48% of the recruited animals, that of the posterior leaflet in only 7%, and bi-leaflet prolapse was detected in 45%.…”

Assessment and Quantification of Acquired Valvular Regurgitation in Dogs

“…Moderate prolapse occurs when part of one or both leaflets bulge beyond line 1 but do not reach line 2 (see Figure 11-2). Severe prolapse occurs when the prolapsed part of the leaflets bulges beyond line 2 [13]. valve systolic closure [14].…”

“…The difference is due to the fact that, in dogs, the anterior leaflet is twice as large as the posterior leaflet [3]. The severity of the prolapse is correlated with the MR stage and the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) clinical class [13].…”

Occurrence of mitral valve insufficiency in clinically healthy Beagle dogs

“…However, early, mild cases might show equivocal or no alterations which might be the reason while we had these signs only in one of our dogs (Terzo et al, 2009).…”