Echocardiographic Left Ventricular Function in Dogs with Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) may affect left ventricular function in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). We evaluated the echocardiographic left ventricular function in 30 dogs with PH secondary to MMVD classified into 3 classes based on the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council classification and healthy controls. Higher left atrial pressure in class Ib dogs may induce PH. Dogs with PH and MMVD had lower forward and total stroke volume, regardless of larger volume overload in class III dogs. These left ventricular functional abnormalities may contribute to severe clinical signs observed in PH dogs (such as syncope and collapse).