Effect of echocardiographic imaging view and methods on left ventricular wall-thickness measurements in normal cats and cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

2D and M-mode echocardiography methods are not interchangeable for feline LV wall thickness measurement.

This retrospective study evaluated agreement between different echocardiographic methods for measuring left ventricular wall thickness in cats, comparing 2-dimensional (2D) and M-mode imaging from right parasternal long-axis and short-axis views in 140 normal cats and 140 with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Results demonstrated that in normal cats, interventricular septum (IVS) thickness measurements were interchangeable across all four methods, but left ventricular free wall (LVFW) thickness showed clinically relevant differences between 2D and M-mode techniques. In HCM cats, both IVS and LVFW thickness measurements differed significantly among methods. The study concluded that 2D and M-mode echocardiographic methods cannot be used interchangeably for assessing LV wall thickness, particularly in HCM-affected cats. These findings have important implications for diagnostic accuracy and consistency in feline cardiac assessment, suggesting standardized methodology is essential for reliable HCM diagnosis and disease monitoring.

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