RADIOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENT OF VERTEBRAL HEART SCALE, SPHERICITY INDEX AND NUMBER OF INTERCOSTAL SPACES IN CATS WITH VARIOUS LUNGWORM INFECTIONS

Abstract

Infection with respiratory nematodes in cats leads to functional disturbances in the activity of the cardiovascular system, finding expression in clinical and radiographic changes. The purpose of this study is to determine absolute and relative heart size in cats infected by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Strongylida: Angiostrongylidae), Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) or mixed invasion by correlating heart size and selected skeletal structures. Forty cats with confirmed pulmonary parasites infestation (22 with A. abstrusus, 6 with Т. brevior and 7 with mixed invasion) are included in this study. Мeasurements were made on obtained lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs. The following cardiac indices are reported: vertebral heart score (VHS), the ratio between the length and the width of the heart and the number of intercostal spaces occupied by the heart silhouette. Mean +/- SD vertebral heart score of all groups are between 7.14±0.22 and 8.1±0.89 vertebrae, SI is from 0.64±0.02 to 0.76±0.05. Heart shade occupy from 2.08±0.15 to 2.46±0.21 intercostal spaces. No significant statistical differences are found among the cats infected with lungworms and unaffected ones in control group, which leads to no signs of cardiomegaly in infected cats.