Internal Medicine Korea Animal Medical Center Cheongju, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Republic of Korea
Abstract: Background – Mitral valve cleft is identified as the cause of mitral regurgitation in humans, but its prevalence is limited in veterinary medicine. Hypothesis/Objectives – The study aims to determine the prevalence of mitral valve cleft in dogs diagnosed with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).Animals –Twenty-one client-owned dogs with MMVD. Methods – Retrospective observational study. All dogs were evaluated by using three-dimensional trans-esophageal echocardiography. Results – Six dogs were in MMVD stage B2, seven in stage C, and eight in stage D. Notably, 13 dogs (prevalence 62%) were diagnosed with mitral valve clefts, primarily located in the mid-A1 segment (n=5). Specifically, 6/8 (75%) of dogs in MMVD stage D, 5/7 (71%) in stage C, and 2/6 (33%) in stage B2 exhibited mitral valve clefts. Additionally, indentation was observed in only one dog. Conclusions and clinical importance – Mitral valve cleft are frequently seen in dogs with MMVD.
