Use of tissue Doppler imaging to confirm the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy in a dog with equivocal echocardiographic findings

At present, diagnosis of the preclinical phase of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs remains a challenge for veterinarians. Tissue Doppler imaging is a recently developed ultrasonographic technique that allows quantification of regional myocardial function in real time by measurement of myocardial velocities. In dogs with equivocal conventional echocardiographic findings of dilated cardiomyopathy, severe myocardial alterations may be detected via tissue Doppler imaging.