Assessment of RV systolic function by tissue motion annular displacement in healthy cats

Tissue motion annular displacement (TMAD) of the tricuspid valve, obtained by speckle-tracking echocardiography, evaluates RV longitudinal systolic function (RVLSF) by measuring annular displacement toward the ventricular apex. This study aimed to assess right ventricular (RV) function in 56 clinically healthy cats using TMAD and to compare the results with conventional echocardiographic parameters and longitudinal strain of the RV free wall (LSt-fw). Mean TMAD values were 4.8 ± 1.1 mm, 23.5 ± 3.8%, 17.9 ± 5.2 mm/m², and 1.1 ± 0.4 mm/kg. TMAD measured in millimeters and percentage showed positive correlations with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (r = 0.23, p = 0.034; and r = 0.37, p = 0.005, respectively). Agreement analysis demonstrated moderate repeatability, with biases of -0.62 (intraobserver) and − 0.34 (interobserver) for TMAD in millimeters, and − 0.36 and − 1.36, respectively, for TMAD in percentage. In addition, the time required to obtain TMAD measurements was significantly shorter than that for LSt-fw (median 10.5 s vs. 28.0 s; p < 0.0001). These findings indicate that TMAD is a feasible and rapid method for evaluating RVLSF in healthy cats.