RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STANDARDS IN TRANSTHORACIC 2-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN THE DOG AND CAT

Recommendations are presented for standardized imaging planes and disp lay conventions for two-dimensional echocardiography in the dog and ca t. Three transducer locations (''windows'') provide access to consiste nt imaging planes: the right parasternal location, the left caudal (ap ical) parasternal location, and the left cranial parasternal location. Recommendations for image display orientations are very similar to th ose for comparable human cardiac images, with the heart base or crania l aspect of the heart displayed to the examiner's right on the video d isplay. From the right parasternal location, standard views include a long-axis four-chamber view and a long-axis left ventricular outflow v iew, and short-axis views at the levels of the left ventricular apex, papillary muscles, chordae tendineae, mitral valve, aortic valve, and pulmonary arteries. From the left caudal (apical) location, standard v iews include long-axis two-chamber and four-chamber views. From the le ft cranial parasternal location, standard views include a long-axis vi ew of the left ventricular outflow tract and ascending aorta (with var iations to image the right atrium and tricuspid valve, and the pulmona ry valve and pulmonary artery), and a short-axis view of the aortic ro ot encircled by the right heart. These images are presented by means o f idealized line drawings. Adoption of these standards should facilita te consistent performance, recording, teaching, and communicating resu lts of studies obtained by two-dimensional echo cardiography.