IN VITRO
ultrasonography of the NORMAL sheep heart
H. Karimi, G. A. Moghaddam1, A. Naematollahi2 AND F.
Rezazadeh1
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; 1Department of Large Animal
Internal Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture; 2Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, University
of Tabriz,
Tabriz,
Iran
Abstract
The anatomical
structure of normal heart was studied in vitro through ultrasonography
of 60 healthy hearts of sheep collected following slaughter. After
removing the clot or any remained blood in atria and ventricles, the
organs were imaged under water immersion at 250C, using a
B-mode real time ultrasound scanner fitted with a 3.5 or 5.0 MHz sector
transducer. The different cavities and septum of the heart were imaged.
The thickness of left ventricle wall (LV),
right ventricle wall (RV) and inter-ventricular septum (IVS) were
measured. All the sizes obtained by ultrasonography were compared with
those obtained by ruler. These sizes were quite comparable. Atrio-ventricular
valves, semilunar valves and papillary muscles were seen as echogenic
masses. The wall of ventricles, atrium and septum between them were also
echogenic and had homogeneous echotexture. The heart cavities did not
show any echo and were observed homogenous. Apex of the heart, the root
of the aorta, and pulmonary tract were also distinguishable.