Equine echocardiography - how to and what's new

Echocardiographic examination is an invaluable component of the cardiovascular examination of horses, particularly those with one or more of the following: murmur, dysrrhythmia, unexplained tachycardia, pyrexia of unknown origin or poor performance. As a non-invasive methodology, echocardiographic examination facilities assessment of the structural and functional integrity of the heart and allows accurate determination of the location, cause and haemodynamic importance of cardiac murmurs. With the increasing availability and capacity of ultrasound machines in equine practice, a sound echocardiographic examination is achievable and should be considered in horses with suspected or confirmed cardiac disease. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the approach to the echocardiographic examination of the horse and outline recent advances in the acquisition and interpretation of sonographic information.