Evaluation of echocardiographic markers in dogs with patent ductus arteriosus after ductal closure

This study evaluated several known echocardiographic markers related to the assessment of severity in dogs with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) after the closure of ductus arteriosus (DA). Forty-two dogs with patent ductus arteriosus were enrolled in this study. Evaluated echocardiographic markers were left atrial to aortic root ratio, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension to aortic root ratio, indexed left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions, end-diastolic and end systolic volume index, pulmonic flow to systemic flow (Qp/Qs) ratio, velocities of pulmonary regurgitant and systolic jets, pulmonary flow profiles and the presence of mitral regurgitation. Those markers were evaluated before, 1 day, and 30 days after the closure of DA. Statistically significant changes in some echocardiographic markers (i.e., Qp/Qs) were observed. Although several studies in human and dogs have evaluated the clinical outcome of PDA occlusion using several echocardiographic markers, this study has firstly evaluated all echocardiographic markers known to be useful for assessing the clinical outcome of PDA occlusion in human, and has demonstrated that those markers including the Qp/Qs and pulmonary flow profiles were useful in evaluating of clinical outcome of PDA in dogs and the reduction of LA and LV preload after ductal closure could dramatically reduce after successful ductal occlusion of PDA in dogs.