ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND ACQUIRED HEART-DISEAS ES

Echocardiography is an indispensable and complementary examination whi ch allows the establishment of a confident diagnosis of the majority o f the acquired heart diseases. It is possible to identify cardiac lesi ons (direct signs) and the operator is able to visualise cavity and pa rietal consequences (indirect signs). This article summarises the dire ct and indirect signs which characterise of the main acquired heart di seases in carnivores: valcular diseases, myocardial and pericardial af fections.