Abstract

LIGHTOWLER, C.; CASALONGA, O.; DI TOLLO, B.  and  CATTANEO, M.L.. Evaluation of relative wall thickness in dogs. InVet [online]. 2005, vol.7, n.1, pp.71-74. ISSN 1668-3498.

As much as the pathological phenomena the exercise and training promote in the heart adaptation phenomena, which vary according to the mechanism that promotes them. One of the mechanisms that is always present in cardiac adaptation is hypertrophy of myocardium. The degree of hypertrophy can be evaluated measuring the left ventricular myocardial mass. Nevertheless this parameter measures the amount of hypertrophy, but not how it is distributed; this can be evaluated by means of relative wall thickness (RWT) index. In the present study the authors describe the echocardiography technique for the evaluation of the RWT in the dog and present its normal mean value. The results obtained were the following: Mean: 0,482; Standard deviation: 0,098; Coefficient of variation: 18,37%; Minimum value: 0,355; First quartile: 0,407; Median: 0,459; Third quartile: 0,528; Maximum value: 0,728. Also was verified the nonexistence of linear regression between the RWT and the body weight.

Keywords : Echocardiography; Dog; Relative Wall Thickness.

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