What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the agreement between LVWT measurements obtained from different echocardiographic views in cats.

January 10, 2026Open Access

Left ventricular wall thickness in cats: agreement between echocardiographic views

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Left ventricular wall thickness measurements vary significantly across different echocardiographic views, indicating that they are not interchangeable (P<.0001). Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

Key Result

Left ventricular wall thickness measurements varied significantly across different echocardiographic views, indicating that they are not interchangeable (P<.0001).

Key Points

To evaluate the agreement between LVWT measurements obtained from different echocardiographic views in cats.
Conducted a cross-sectional study involving 408 cats with varying LVWT.
Measured LVWT using echocardiography from RPLA and RPSA views along with M-mode.
Performed Bland–Altman analysis to assess agreement between different measurement techniques.
Measurements from 2D RPLA showed greater LVWT compared to 2D RPSA for both septal and free wall thickness.
Wide limits of agreement indicate significant variability in LVWT measurements across views.
Small biases between different views suggest some overlap, but overall agreement is poor.

Structured PICO

Are left ventricular wall thickness measurements interchangeable between different echocardiographic views in cats?

Population

408 cats: 292 with maximal LVWT (MaxLVWTd) <6 mm and 116 with MaxLVWTd ≥6 mm.

Intervention

Echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular wall thickness using two-dimensional (2D) right parasternal long-axis (RPLA) 4- and 5-chamber views, 2D short-axis (RPSA), and M-mode RPSA views.

Comparator

Comparison among the different echocardiographic views and techniques.

Outcome

Agreement of left ventricular wall thickness measurements between different echocardiographic views and techniques.surrogate

Left ventricular wall thickness measurements in cats vary significantly across different echocardiographic views and are not interchangeable, highlighting the need for standardized measurement protocols.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%

Abstract

Background: Various echocardiographic views are used to assess left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT), but whether these measurements are interchangeable remains unclear. Objective: To assess agreement of LVWT measurements between different echocardiographic views and techniques in cats. Animals: 408 cats: 292 with maximal LVWT (MaxLVWTd) <6 mm and 116 with MaxLVWTd ≥6 mm. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Echocardiograms performed and measured by a single observer. Septal and free wall LVWT were measured using two-dimensional (2D) right parasternal long-axis (RPLA) 4- and 5-chamber views, 2D short-axis (RPSA), and M-mode RPSA views. Bland–Altman analysis assessed agreement between views. Results: Septal thickness (4.6 mm (range, 2.9-9.5) vs 4.2 mm (range, 2.8-9.2), P<.0001) and free wall thickness (4.6 mm (range, 3.0-11.1) vs. 4.1 mm (range, 2.4-12.3); P<.0001) were significantly greater in 2D RPLA than 2D RPSA. Agreement between 2D RPLA and 2D RPSA showed wide limits of agreement (LoA) and heteroscedasticity for septal and free wall measurements. Between 2D RPSA and M-mode RPSA, a small bias was noted for septal thickness (-.04 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI) -.12 – .04 mm), but LoA remained wide (-1.1- 1.1 mm). Agreement between 4- and 5-chamber 2D RPLA showed small biases (septum: -.09 mm, 95% CI -.14 – -.04 mm; free wall: -.03 mm, 95% CI -.09 – .02), with wide LoA (septum: -0.8 - 0.7 mm; free wall: -0.9 - 0.8 mm). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: LVWT measurements vary significantly across echocardiographic views and are not interchangeable. Standardized measurement protocols are needed to improve consistency in cardiac phenotyping.