ABSTRACT OF THE WEEK

Journal of veterinary internal medicine/ American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Volume 35 | Issue 3 (May 2021)

The Mitral INsufficiency Echocardiographic score: A severity classification of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs.

J Vet Intern Med. May 2021;35(3):1238-1244.

Tommaso Vezzosi¹, Giovanni Grosso², Rosalba Tognetti³, Valentina Meucci⁴, Valentina Patata⁵, Federica Marchesotti⁶, Oriol Domenech⁷

¹ Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.; ² Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.; ³ Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.; ⁴ Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.; ⁵ Department of Cardiology, Anicura Istituto Veterinario Novara, Granozzo con Monticello, Italy.; ⁶ Department of Cardiology, Anicura Istituto Veterinario Novara, Granozzo con Monticello, Italy.; ⁷ Department of Cardiology, Anicura Istituto Veterinario Novara, Granozzo con Monticello, Italy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:There is no commonly shared severity score for myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) based on routinely acquired echocardiographic variables.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES:To propose an easy-to-use echocardiographic classification of severity of MMVD in dogs.

ANIMALS:Five hundred and sixty dogs with MMVD.

METHODS:This was a retrospective, multicenter, observational study. The proposed Mitral INsufficiency Echocardiographic (MINE) score was based on 4 echocardiographic variables: left atrium-to-aorta ratio, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter normalized for body weight, fractional shortening, and E-wave transmitral peak velocity. Specific echocardiographic cutoffs were defined based on previous prognostic studies on MMVD, and severity scores were assigned as follows: mild (score: 4-5), moderate (score: 6-7), severe (score: 8-12), late stage (score: 13-14).

RESULTS:Median survival time was significantly different (P < .05) between the proposed severity classes: mild (2344 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1877-2810 days), moderate (1882 days, 95% CI 1341-2434 days), severe (623 days, 95% CI 432-710 days), and late stage (157 days, 95% CI 53-257 days). A MINE score >8 was predictive of cardiac death (area under the curve = 0.85; P < .0001; sensitivity 87%, specificity 73%). In the multivariable analysis, all the echocardiographic variables of the MINE score were independent predictors of death because of heart disease (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE:The MINE score is a new easy-to-use echocardiographic classification of severity of MMVD, which has been proven to be clinically effective as it is associated with survival. This classification provides prognostic information and could be useful for an objective echocardiographic assessment of MMVD.

Keywords

cardiac death; heart failure; mitral regurgitation; prognosis; survival;

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