KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.15, sa.5, ss.751-757, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of this study was to evaluate the findings of blood hemodynamics, left ventricular contractility, internal diameter
of the left ventricle and atrium, aort and atrioventricular valve function disorders in the sport horses (n = 79). The anatomical
structure and blood hemodynamics of atrioventricular (AV) valves, measurements of cardiac structure were determined using
M-mode, 2-D, pulsed-wave (PW) and color Doppler findings obtained from the right and left chest wall in the 3,4 and 5
chamber views. In 42 horses without cardiac diseases findings, average interventriculer septum thickness in diastole and
systole was 32.3±5 and 41.4±7 mm; left ventricular internal diameter in diastole and systole, 122.3±6 and 74±4 mm; left
ventricular free wall thickness in diastole and systole, 26.9±4 and 34.8±8 mm; aortic internal diameter, 88.1±6 mm; left
atrium internal diameter, 63.1±3 mm and fractional shortening, 40.4±5%. Of 37 horses diagnosed with cardiac diseases, 7
horses had left atrioventricular dilatation; 5 had left atrial dilatation; 3 had low fractional shortening (19-28%); 10 had regional
hypokinesia on left ventricular free wall and 7 had pericardial effusion as well as in 5 cases, the E:A ratio was below 1. In
conclusion, this screening study reveals importance of echocardiographic parameters in detection of cardiac diseases without
exhibiting major clinical symptoms.