Evaluation of Radiographic Methods for Detecting Left Atrial Enlargement in Dogs with Mitral Valve Disease

Aim: To evaluate the utility of four radiographic methods for assessing cardiomegaly and left atrial enlargement in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD)

Study Design: Thirty-one client owned dogs with varying severity of mitral valve disease were subjected to thoracic radiography and echocardiography.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, DGCN College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, between July 2023 to July 2024

Methodology: Thirty-one dogs with varying MMVD severity underwent thoracic radiography and echocardiography. Vertebral heart size (VHS), vertebral left atrial size (VLAS), radiographic left atrial dimension (RLAD), and left atrial (LA) Width were measured and compared with echocardiographic parameters.

Results: Radiographic indices (VHS, VLAS, RLAD, and LA Width) increased progressively with MMVD stage (B1, B2, and C). RLAD, and LA Width correlated significantly with echocardiographic LA/Ao ratio (P < 0.01). VHS, VLAS, and LA Width were easier to measure than RLAD.

Conclusion: Radiographic VLAS, RLAD, and LA Width are reliable alternatives to echocardiography for identifying left atrial enlargement in MMVD-affected dogs, with VHS offering utility when other measures are unavailable.