Right-to-left Shunted, Patent Ductus Arteriosus of a Dog with Polycythemia: Usefulness of Saline Contrast Echocardiography

Abstract

In an asymptomatic polycythemia dog brought to us, remarkable concentric hypertrophy of the right ventricle and flattened interventricular septum was found by general echocardiography. Cardiac diseases such as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) or pulmonary stenosis were suspected to have caused the polycythemia, but no color sign to indicate shunt diseases or valvular regurgitation was detected by color Doppler test. For further inspection, the dog was scanned by saline contrast echocardiography at Miyazaki University, and was diagnosed as suffering from right-to-left shunted PDA. This report is a good example of the usefulness of saline contrast echocardiography for easily demonstrating right-to-left shunted PDA.