Key result
Fruit bat cardiomyopathy is linked to higher W:T ratio and VHS versus healthy specimens.
Why the study?
Cardiomyopathies have been increasingly noted in the captive population of Livingstone's fruit bats, necessitating repeatable quantitative radiographic cardiac size measurements.
Case-Control (n=42)
Absolute Event Rate: 0.59% vs 0.54%
p-value: p=< 0.05
Radiographic measurements, specifically the W:T ratio and Vertebral Heart Score, can reliably distinguish between healthy Livingstone's fruit bats and those with cardiomyopathy.
Enables standardized radiographic cardiac assessment in Livingstone's fruit bats; leaves open validation against clinical outcomes in affected individuals.
Cardiomyopathies have been increasingly noted in the captive population of Livingstone's fruit bat ( Pteropus livingstonii ). The aim of this study was to produce a set of repeatable quantitative reference measurements that could be used to assess the cardiac size during radiographic examination of this species. Ventro-dorsal and lateral radiographs (n = 129) from a total of 42 individual Livingstone's fruit bats were examined. The control group radiographs (n = 102) consisted of 34 healthy individuals. Radiographic measurements were taken of structures within the thorax and then converted into ratios. These ratios from radiographs (n = 27) were also calculated for eight individuals with diagnosed cardiomyopathy. Vertebral Heart Scores (VHS) were calculated from right lateral radiographs and compared between the two groups. From all the data, only the width of the cardiac silhouette to the width of the thorax (the W : T ratio) in the ventro-dorsal view and the VHS were found to be significantly different between both groups (P < 0.05). The group with cardiomyopathies had a mean W : T ratio of 0.59 (±0.005) and a VHS of 9.77 (±0.89), while a mean W : T ratio of 0.54 (±0.004) and a VHS of 8.71 (±0.93) was established for healthy specimens.
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Dickson et al. (2016) conducted a case-control in Cardiomyopathy (n=42). Cardiomyopathy vs. Healthy individuals was evaluated on Width of the cardiac silhouette to the width of the thorax (W:T ratio) in the ventro-dorsal view (p=< 0.05). Livingstone's fruit bats with cardiomyopathy had a significantly higher mean W:T ratio (0.59 vs 0.54) and Vertebral Heart Score (9.77 vs 8.71) compared to healthy specimens (P < 0.05).
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