Research Communications of the 27(th) ECVIM-CA Congress: Intercontinental, Saint Julian's, Malta, 14th to 16th September 2017

Disclosures: No disclosures to report. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is present in approximately 70-80% of dogs with left-sided congestive heart failure (L-CHF) and contributes to clinical signs and outcome. Anecdotal evidence suggests that PH in cats with L-CHF is much less frequent. However, data on the prevalence of PH in cats with L-CHF is not available. This study addresses the general hypothesis that PH secondary to L-CHF is uncommon in cats and that echocardiographic findings in cats with PH are different compared to dogs. This retrospective observational study included 56 healthy cats and 131 cats with L-CHF imaged between 2004 and 2016 at the Ohio State University, Veterinary Medical Center. Key diagnostic variables included tricuspid regurgitation (TR) peak velocity, right atrial (RA) size, right ventricular (RV) size and function, RV wall thickness, pulmonary artery (PA) size, Doppler-derived systolic time intervals of PA flow (STIs), presence of septal flattening, and variables characterizing left atrial size and left ventricular size and function. PH was identified if TR peak velocity was >2.7 m/sec (estimated systolic PA pressure >35 mmHg). Parametric and nonparametric statistical test procedures were used to compare normal cats to cats with L-CHF, and cats with and without PH.