PROPOSITION FOR AN ULTRASONOCARDIOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATION-SYSTEM OF THE PERSISTENCE OF THE ARTERIAL CHANNEL IN THE DOG USING INFORMATION FROM 24 CASE-STUDIES

Between February, 1988 and June, 1992, thirty- dogs suspected of being affected by a persistence of the arterial channel (PCA) were examined in the cardiology unit of the Medicine department of the Alfort Veter inary School: Twenty-four Jogs mere surgically treated and twenty-two of them received a post-operation ultrasonocardiographic follow-up jur ing a period of several weeks to two years. This article summarises cl inical, radiographic and ultrasonocardiographic information for the tw enty-four dogs which were confirmed, by surgical exploration, to be af fected by PCA. By using the pre- and post-operation information a clas sification system based on ultrasonocardiography is proposed, with fiv e degrees of severity. The importance of the difficulties encountered pre- and post-operation as well as the time needed to obtain complete or partial recovery of the normal size of the cardiac cavities after s urgical treatment are used to define the position within tile classifi cation system.