Fig. 1From: Heart to spine measurements to detect left atrial enlargement in dogs with mitral insufficiencyRight lateral thoracic view. The vertebral Heart Size (VHS), long (L) and short (S) cardiac axes are shown. VHS is expressed as total units of vertebral length: 10.2v in this particular case. Bronchus-to-spine measurement (dark blue line) and the distance between the cranio-ventral and caudo-ventral surface of the vertebrae dorsal to the heart base (red line) were shown. (L), (S) and Br-Spine measurements were repositioned parallel to the long axis of the thoracic vertebrae from the cranial edge of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4). Br-Spine was thus expressed as total units of vertebral length: 1.0vBack to article page