# Echocardiographic Evaluation of the Right Ventricular Thickness, Myocardial Visualization, and Fractional Area Change: The Impact of Contrast Agent and Transducer Selection

## TL;DR

This study compares different echocardiographic techniques in dogs to improve the accuracy of right ventricular assessments.

## Contribution

The study identifies convex transducers and contrast agents as superior for right ventricular imaging in veterinary cardiology.

## Key findings

- Convex transducers provide better visualization and inter-observer agreement for right ventricular near-field segments.
- Contrast-enhanced echocardiography improves apical visualization and reliability of fractional area change measurements.
- Contrast agents enhance delineation of myocardial chambers, aiding in the evaluation of pathological conditions like tumors.

## Abstract

Accurate assessment of right ventricular wall thickness, myocardial visualization, and chamber dimensions is crucial in veterinary cardiology but remains understudied in dogs. This prospective observational study evaluated 10 healthy beagle dogs to compare three echocardiographic approaches for assessing right ventricular parameters: sector transducer, convex transducer, and convex transducer with contrast agent. The dogs’ health was confirmed through physical examination, laboratory testing, and echocardiographic examinations. Statistical analyses were performed using paired sample t‐tests, analysis of variance with Scheffé’s post hoc test, Kruskal–Wallis tests for multiple comparisons, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for observer reliability, with significance set at p < 0.05. Using a myocardial visibility and delineation scoring system, the study demonstrated that convex transducers offer superior visualization and inter‐observer agreement, particularly in near‐field segments (ICC: 0.12–0.92 vs. 0.06–0.73). Apical visualization of the right ventricle was significantly improved by contrast‐enhanced echocardiography, thereby enhancing the reliability of right ventricular fractional area change measurements (mean RVFAC, 36.1% ± 7.3% with contrast, ICC 0.7). Additionally, myocardial‐chamber delineation was improved by contrast‐enhanced echocardiography, which highlighted its potential for evaluating specific pathological conditions, such as myocardial tumors or lesions. This study compared different echocardiographic approaches, clearly identified each technique's clinical strengths and limitations, and emphasized the utility of convex transducers and contrast agents, particularly in near‐field lesions and complex myocardial abnormalities assessment. These findings provide valuable insights into improving echocardiographic technique reliability and accuracy in veterinary cardiology and offer practical contributions to canine heart disease diagnosis and treatment planning.