1,721,035 research outputs found
Transient myocardial thickening associated with acute myocardial injury and congestive heart failure in two Toxoplasma gondii-positive cats
Full text linkCASE SERIES SUMMARY: In this report, we provide detailed clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic descriptions of two Toxoplasma gondii-positive cats diagnosed with transient myocardial thickening (TMT) and acute myocardial injury (MI). In both cases, aetiological diagnosis was based on the antibody screening test (all cats had IgM titres ⩾1:64) and MI was demonstrated by a concomitant severe increase of the serum concentration of cardiac troponin I (5.1–23.6 ng/ml; upper hospital limit <0.2 ng/ml). In both cats, TMT and MI were aggravated by left atrial dilation and dysfunction, as well as congestive heart failure. In one cat, atrial standstill was also documented, while the other cat showed an intracardiac thrombus. Both cats underwent an extensive diagnostic work-up aimed at excluding additional comorbidities that could contribute to able to contribute to TMT and MI, and received appropriate antiprotozoal (ie, clindamycin) and cardiovascular therapy (eg, furosemide, pimobendan and clopidogrel). This was followed by a simultaneous decline in T gondii serology titres, normalisation of troponin level and the resolution of clinical, electrocardiographic, radiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities. In the light of these results, therapies were interrupted and subsequent controls ruled out any disease relapse. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Although T gondii represents an often-cited cause of myocarditis in feline medicine, the existing literature on the demonstration of T gondii-associated cardiac compromise in cats is extremely limited. Accordingly, this report provides a useful contribution to pertinent scientific literature since it describes TMT and acute MI in two T gondii-positive cats
Influence of weight bearing and hoof position on Doppler evaluation of lateral palmar digital arteries in healthy horses.
No full textObjective—To describe the pulsed-wave Doppler
tracing of the equine lateral palmar digital artery and
its modification in relation to standardized changes in
posture.
Animals—17 healthy Saddlebred horses.
Procedures—Pulsed-wave Doppler examinations of
left and right lateral palmar digital arteries of the horses
were performed. The baseline examination was
performed on each forelimb while horses were standing
squarely with the body weight equally distributed
among the 4 limbs (BED position). For each forelimb,
the examination was repeated during 3 standardized
modifications of the horse’s posture (non–weightbearing
[NWB] position, full weight-bearing [FWB]
position, and a position involving hyperextension of
the distal interphalangeal joint [HE position]). In each
position, mean values of systolic peak velocity, first
and second diastolic peak velocity, end-diastolic
velocity, mean velocity, and resistive index were calculated.
Data obtained in each different posture were
compared statistically.
Results—No significant differences in blood flow variables
were detected between the left and right forelimbs.
However, significant differences were detected
in values of first diastolic velocity, second diastolic
velocity, mean velocity, and resistive index between
the NWB position and FWB position. Also, end-diastolic
velocity in the NWB position was significantly different
from that recorded in the HE position.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The pulsedwave
Doppler tracing of the equine lateral palmar digital
artery was modified considerably with changes in
posture. This suggests that the use of a precisely standardized
posture for horses is required to obtain repeatable
data
Multidetector row computed tomography and ultrasound characteristics of caudal vena cava duplication in dogs
No full textCaudal vena cava duplication has been rarely reported in small animals. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe characteristics of duplicated caudal vena cava in a large group of dogs. Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound databases from two hospitals were searched for canine reports having the diagnosis "double caudal vena cava." One observer reviewed CT images for 71 dogs and two observers reviewed ultrasound images for 21 dogs. In all CT cases, the duplication comprised two vessels that were bilaterally symmetrical and approximately the same calibre (similar to Type I complete duplication in humans). In all ultrasound cases, the duplicated caudal vena cava appeared as a distinct vessel running on the left side of the abdominal segment of the descending aorta and extending from the left common iliac vein to the left renal vein. The prevalence of caudal vena cava duplication was 0.46% for canine ultrasound studies and 2.08% for canine CT studies performed at these hospitals. Median body weight for affected dogs was significantly lower than that of unaffected dogs (P < 0.0001). Breeds with increased risk for duplicated caudal vena cava were Yorkshire Terrier (odds ratio [OR] = 6.41), Poodle (OR = 7.46), West Highland White Terrier (OR = 6.33), and Maltese (OR = 3.87). Presence of a duplicated caudal vena cava was significantly associated with presence of extrahepatic portosystemic shunt(s) (P < 0.004). While uncommon in dogs, caudal vena cava duplication should be differentiated from other vascular anomalies when planning surgeries and for avoiding misdiagnoses
Electrocardiographic findings in healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Pugs, and English Bulldogs
No full textObjective: To describe the ECG findings in 3 different canine brachycephalic breeds: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Pug, and the English Bulldog (EB). Animals: 135 healthy dogs (50 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, 50 Pugs, and 35 EBs). Procedures: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify healthy dogs ≥ 1 year old that had undergone an ECG. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Student t test were used to compare continuous variables between male and female dogs, whereas the χ2 test was used for categorical variables. Spearman correlation coefficients between ECG measurements and age and body weight were also calculated in the case of continuous variables, whereas the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for categorical ones. Results: Electrocardiographic parameters of healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels overall fitted with traditional reference intervals cited in textbooks; in contrast, 28% of Pugs and 20% of EBs showed a shift of the QRS-complex mean electrical axis (QRS-MEA). In Pugs and EBs, the mean/median QRS-MEA value was 56° (from 0° to 100°) and 59° (from 20° to 100°), respectively. All axis shifts were left shifts (in Pugs, from 0° to 34°; in EBs, 20° to 39°). Only a few meaningful differences were found when comparing ECG variables between males and females. Similarly, only 1 statistically significant correlation was found between ECG parameters and age and body weight. Clinical relevance: Healthy Pugs and EBs present a trend to a left shift of the QRS-MEA. This should be considered when interpreting ECG tracings in these breeds
64-multidetector CT anatomical assessment of the feline bronchial and pulmonary vascular structures
Full text linkObjectives: The aim of the study was to provide a detailed anatomical study of the feline bronchial and vascular structures by using CT angiography (CTA). Methods: Adult cats with no respiratory clinical signs were enrolled in a CTA protocol to provide an anatomical study of the thorax. The dimensions, number of branches and branching pattern (monopodial vs dichotomic) of both bronchial and pulmonary vascular structures were evaluated under positive inspiration apnoea. A linear generalised estimating equations analysis (Spearman’s rho) was used to identify statistical correlation between tracheal diameter, age and body weight of the cats. Results: Fourteen cats met the inclusion criteria. The pulmonary arteries had larger diameters than the pulmonary veins, and the pulmonary veins had larger diameters than the bronchial structures. A higher number of segmental bronchial and pulmonary vascular branches was observed in the left caudal lung lobe than in the other lobes. The monopodial branching pattern of both bronchial and pulmonary vascular structures was predominant in all cats of our study (100%) in cranial, caudal and right middle lung lobes, while a dichotomic branching pattern of the bronchial and pulmonary vascular structures of the accessory lung lobe was seen in 13 cats (93%). Thirteen cats (93%) had three pulmonary vein ostia, and one cat (7%) also presented with an additional left intermediate pulmonary vein ostium. Variation in the number of segmental pulmonary vein branches was noted in the right caudal lung lobe. There was no statistical correlation between tracheal diameter, age and weight. Conclusions and relevance: Architecture of the feline bronchovascularr structures belongs to a mixed type of monopodial and dichotomic branching pattern. In cats, the pulmonary venous drainage system predominately presents three pulmonary vein ostia. Variations in the type of formation and the number of branches of the pulmonary venous drainage system were noted
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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