The Efficacy of Using Radiography to Determine Left Atrial Size in Dogs for the Diagnosis of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

Abstract

Radiographic variables for the diagnosis of left-sided heart enlargement are generally normalized to overall body size by comparing them to vertebral body length. The present study investigated the diagnostic value of radiographic left atrial size (LAS) based on body weight range in the diagnosis of left-sided heart enlargement in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). LAS and vertebral left atrial size (VLAS) showed a significant increase according to the stage of progress of MMVD, and there was a strong correlation with echocardiographic variables such as left atrium to aortic root ratio and left ventricular internal diameter in diastole. The cut-off values for diagnosing left-side heart enlargement were 2.3 (1‐3 kg), 3.0 (3‐5 kg), and 3.3 (5‐10 kg) cm. LAS can be a useful radiographic measurement for prediction of left-sided heart enlargement in dogs with MMVD.