Using the Vertebral Heart Scale Method of Measurement during X-Ray Diagnostics of Thoracic Cavity in Dogs and Cats: A Literature Review

Introduction. In veterinary medicine, X-ray diagnostics is one of the most popular and affordable methods of visual diagnostics of pathologies not only of the musculoskeletal system, but also of some parenchymatous organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Identification of cardiac pathologies most often begins with X-ray examination, however, the use of special techniques is sometimes required for reliable determination of the presence or absence of cardiomegaly in animals under examination. One of the most reliable methods for assessing the condition of the heart is the vertebral heart scale (VHS) method. The aim of the present review is to summarise the data available in literature sources on the use of the vertebral heart scale method during X-ray diagnostics of the feline and canine thoracic cavity, and to assess the relevance and prospects for development of this technique. Materials and Methods. The search for the articles for the scientific review was conducted in the PubMed and eLIBRARY.RU databases. The search covered only publications in Russian and English, published between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2024. According to the criteria of including a scientific paper in a review, the article should have met the following selection criteria: 1) contain information about using the vertebral heart scale method of measurement in dogs or cats, 2) have a full-text version. The results were presented in the form of PRISMA flow chart and a table. Results . The review encompassed 31 articles. In the papers, the following aspects were in the focus of study: vertebral heart scale (VHS) measurements in dogs and cats in the normal and pathological condition; requirements to the technique of taking X-rays intended for vertebral heart scale measurement; the use of artificial intelligence technologies to measure the vertebral heart scale in dogs and cats. The VHS values for different dog breeds were presented in a form of a table indicating the year of the study. Discussion and Conclusion . According to the available scientific data, the vertebral heart scale method of measurement has proved to be an efficient alternative to other more labor-consuming and expensive methods of feline and canine cardiomegaly diagnostics. However, it is necessary to remember that this method has limitations. Further research in this area could aim at obtaining new data on species-, breed-, age-specific, physiological and pathological features of VHS measurements in dogs and cats. The use of artificial intelligence technologies for measuring the vertebral heart scale in cats and dogs is a highly potential trend.