Study suggests better canine RV imaging with convex probe and contrast

A new study in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound suggests that how clinicians image the canine right ventricle can meaningfully affect what they see and measure. In a prospective observational study of 10 healthy beagle dogs, investigators compared a standard sector transducer, a convex transducer, and a contrast-enhanced convex transducer for assessing right ventricular wall thickness, myocardial visualization, and right ventricular fractional area change, or RVFAC. The authors found that convex transducers improved visualization of the right ventricular myocardium, and that adding contrast further improved delineation of the endocardial border and the reliability of RVFAC measurements, especially in near-field regions and anatomically complex areas of the right ventricle. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: The right ventricle remains harder to quantify than the left because of its shape, anterior position, and near-field imaging challenges, and veterinary echocardiography still relies heavily on qualitative assessment for RV function. For veterinary professionals, this paper points to a practical imaging adjustment, using a convex probe and, when appropriate, contrast enhancement, that may improve confidence in RV wall measurements and systolic function assessment without changing the broader echocardiographic workflow. That could be especially relevant in dogs with suspected pulmonary hypertension, pulmonic stenosis, or other diseases where RV remodeling and function matter clinically. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: The next step is whether these findings in healthy beagles hold up in larger, more diverse canine populations and in dogs with right-sided cardiac disease. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)