Usefulness of Tissue Doppler Imaging for the Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension in Canine Heartworm Disease

Abstract

Background: Dirofilaria immitis is a nematode that produces proliferative pulmonary endarteritis in dogs due to direct contact of the adult parasites with the intima layer of the pulmonary arteries, leading to irreversible severe structural damage and sustained pulmonary hypertension (PH), which can produce severe cardiorespiratory disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of the echocardiography tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in determining the presence of PH in dogs with heartworm disease. Methods: There were 116 heartworm-infected dogs with PH and 33 healthy dogs included in the study. Based on the right pulmonary artery distensibility index (RPADi) Dirofilaria immitis.

Keywords

• heartworm
• <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i>
• pulmonary hypertension
• echocardiography
• tissue Doppler imaging