Doença crônica da valva mitral em cães: avaliação clínica funcional e mensuração ecocardiográfica da valva mitral Chronic mitral valvular disease in dogs: assessment of functional clinical stage and echocardiographic measurement of the mitral valve

Foram descritos os achados do exame físico em cães com degeneração mixomatosa crônica da valva mitral e mensurado o comprimento e a espessura das cúspides da valva mitral pelo exame ecocardiográfico. Utilizaram-se 81 cães de diferentes raças de pequeno a médio porte, com idade de 11,12± 2,51 anos e peso de 6,24kg± 3,19, dos quais 20 eram clinicamente normais (grupo-controle) e 61 apresentavam evidências clínicas de cardiopatia. Os animais foram distribuídos em três classes distintas segundo a insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (grupos I, II e III), de acordo com os dados do histórico e dos sinais clínicos apresentados. Ao exame ecocardiográfico, avaliaram-se as medidas das cúspides da valva mitral, que não apresentaram diferença entre os cães do grupo I e II, embora estivessem anormais se comparadas às dos cães do grupo-controle. Nos animais do grupo III, as medidas das valvas avaliadas foram maiores que as dos cães dos grupos I e II. Foram observados nódulos com formato arredondado e, nos cães do grupo III, as cúspides estavam bastante alongadas e espessadas.Physical and echocardiographic aspects were studied in dogs with chronic mitral valvular disease. The length and thickness of the mitral valve leaflets were echocardiographically measured. Eighty-one dogs of small-medium breeds (mean of 6.24kg± 3.19), older than six years (11.12± 2.51 years) were used. Twenty were clinically normal dogs (control group) and 61 presented myxomatous degeneration of the mitral valve. The diseased dogs were categorized into three classes of congestive heart failure (I, II, and III groups) according to the information on clinical manifestations. On the echocardiographic exam, the measurements of the mitral valve leaflets were evaluated and no diferences between dogs of groups I and II were found, though they were abnormal if compared with control group animals. Group III dogs presented measurements higher than those of animals of groups I and II, as well as leaflets very thick and round-shaped nodules were observed