Keynote Message

Myocardial hypertrophy in cats is the most frequently seen pattern in feline cardiac disease. Primary reasons are genetic defects associated with certain breeds and European short-haired cats. Secondary reasons for myocardial thickening differ from influences over the kidney-heart-axis, feline hypertension or feline hyperthyroidism. Diagnostic approaches have developed in the last years in diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests with biomarkers. Echocardiography is still yet the golden standard in characterizing the myocardial status. The standard 2 DE and TM mode measurements are accompanied by 3 D echo and 2 DE speckle tracking as newer techniques in evaluating the myocardial status. The last one offers new parameters to assess cardiac myocardial function including regional myocardial velocities and deformation. Studies have shown that the term "strain" is related to the decrease or increase of the length/shortening of a segment of ventricular muscle and its clinical value in staging HCM. Blood pressure measurements are necessary in recognizing feline hypertension and the development of the status under therapeutic conditions. The Doppler method is a well accepted standard, but gives only systolic blood pressure values. In this study HDO blood pressure measurements were performed including systolic and diastolic blood pressures and a pulse wave analysis, which could show changes depending on stroke volume and systemic vascular resistance and arrhythmia. Those pulse wave data are to be proofed if there are any links to functional parameters from echocardiography.

The presentation looks at cats diagnosed with a normal heart status compared to mostly asymptomatic cats with myocardial hypertrophy with and without influence of drugs like atenolol, ACE-inhibitors, amlodipine, ASS, clopidogrel, diuretics. Each cat got a clinical exam, standard 2DE, TM mode echo and 2 DE speckle tracking and EF (%) Simpson technique, 3DE if possible, ECG and a HDO measurement.

Keynote References

1.  Suzuki R, Mochizuki Y, et al. Myocardial torsional deformations in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology. 2016;18:350–357.

2.  Silva AC, Muzzi RAL, et al. Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: an echocardiographic approach. Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria. 2013;45:1–6.

3.  Wess G, Keller L, et al. Comparison of longitudinal myocardial tissue velocity, strain and strain rate measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking and by color tissue Doppler imaging in healthy dogs. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology. 2011;13:31–43.