Doppler echocardiographic description of double-inlet left ventricle in an Arabian horse

J Vet Cardiol. 2010 Aug;12(2):147-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jvc.2010.01.003. Epub 2010 Jul 14.

Abstract

Univentricular atrioventricular (AV) connections are rare and complex congenital cardiac anomalies in which both AV valves communicate into a large, common (single) receiving chamber. The common chamber can be of left, right, or mixed ventricular morphology. Although well documented in people, reports of the double-inlet ventricle malformation are rare in the veterinary literature. This report provides description of an Arabian horse with a double-inlet univentricular connection of left ventricular type, a hypoplastic subpulmonary right ventricle, two muscular ventricular septal defects, and a stenotic mitral valve. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography enabled antemortem diagnosis, and provided an assessment of intracardiac hemodynamics. The findings indicate that Doppler echocardiography is a useful, noninvasive tool for evaluating equine patients with congenital univentricular AV connections, such as a double-inlet left ventricle.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Echocardiography, Doppler / veterinary
  • Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / veterinary
  • Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed / veterinary
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / veterinary*
  • Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / veterinary
  • Heart Ventricles / abnormalities*
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / congenital
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Horses / abnormalities
  • Male
  • Mitral Valve / abnormalities