animals-logo

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Applications of Doppler Ultrasound in Animal Reproduction

A Special Issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615) belonging to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 2901

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: semen; seminal plasma; ultrasonography; male reproductive system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Sciences II, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 050097 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: animals; reproduction; ultrasonography; semen

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Doppler ultrasonography is a noninvasive diagnostic technique that uses the Doppler effect to measure blood flow in anatomical structures. It is widely used in veterinary medicine to evaluate the male and female genital systems in animals, allowing the identification of pathology, the monitoring of reproductive functions, and the management of reproduction-related clinical conditions.

Doppler ultrasonography offers numerous advantages. It is a noninvasive technique that provides real-time information on blood flow, facilitating the early detection of vascular problems or other abnormalities. Because of its ability to continuously monitor reproductive health, Doppler ultrasound is a key tool in the management of reproductive disorders in animals. In addition to traditional Doppler techniques, several advanced modalities are being explored, including color Doppler for the real-time visualization of blood flow patterns, power Doppler for assessing tissue perfusion, and spectral Doppler for the quantitative measurement of blood flow velocities.

In male animals, Doppler ultrasound is mainly used to examine the testes and prostate. The assessment of blood flow in the testes is crucial in diagnosing issues such as orchitis, testicular torsion, tumors, and blood flow abnormalities that may impair fertility. Doppler examination of the prostate is useful in detecting conditions such as prostatitis, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and tumors. In female animals, Doppler ultrasound is used to monitor blood flow in the ovaries and uterus; it is useful in identifying ovarian cysts, tumors, and abnormalities in the estrous cycle. It is also critical in detecting pathologies such as endometritis, fibroids, or malformations. Blood flow in the uterus is also crucial in pregnancy management through its use in monitoring fetal development and placental health.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight the latest research, case studies, and review articles focusing on applications of Doppler ultrasound in animal reproduction. We invite submissions that explore the clinical utility of Doppler ultrasound in monitoring physiologic and pathologic conditions in the male and female genital tract.

Dr. Riccardo Zelli
Dr. Tiberiu Constantin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • doppler ultrasound
  • animal reproduction
  • female and male monitoring
  • reproductive functions
  • testicular function

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

21 pages, 3900 KB  
Article
Association of Blood Plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Testicular Artery Doppler Parameters with Canine Sperm Freezability
by Florin Petrișor Posastiuc, Guillaume Domain, Lotte Spanoghe, Joke Lannoo, Penelope Banchi, Mircea Petcu and Ann Van Soom
Animals 2026, 16(16), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16162500 - 11 Aug 2026
Viewed by 419
Abstract
Semen cryopreservation is widely used in canine breeding, but individual variation in post-thaw semen quality limits its efficiency. This study investigated whether testicular artery Doppler-derived blood-flow parameters and circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations are associated with semen quality and sperm freezability [...] Read more.
Semen cryopreservation is widely used in canine breeding, but individual variation in post-thaw semen quality limits its efficiency. This study investigated whether testicular artery Doppler-derived blood-flow parameters and circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations are associated with semen quality and sperm freezability in clinically healthy dogs. Sixty-four privately owned male dogs underwent reproductive screening, semen collection, testicular Doppler ultrasonography, blood sampling, fresh and post-thaw semen analysis, and plasma VEGF quantification. Testicular artery Doppler parameters were not significantly associated with fresh or post-thaw semen quality or with most freezability outcomes. Plasma VEGF concentration was positively correlated with fresh linearity (LIN) (p = 0.034), straightness (STR) (p = 0.031), and beat-cross frequency (BCF) (p = 0.043). Higher VEGF concentrations were associated with greater post-thaw declines in progressive motility (PM) (p = 0.036), straight-line velocity (VSL) (p = 0.032), LIN (p = 0.001), STR (p = 0.005), and wobble (WOB) (p = 0.010). In multivariable analysis, VEGF was associated with linearity decline (B = 0.595, 95% CI: 0.254–0.937; p = 0.001). Circulating VEGF may therefore be associated with individual variation in canine sperm cryotolerance, whereas testicular artery Doppler assessment showed limited value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Doppler Ultrasound in Animal Reproduction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4574 KB  
Article
Doppler Ultrasound Indices and Fetal Biometry as Prenatal Markers of SGA or Non-SGA Developmental Trajectories in Naturally Nutrient-Restricted Sheep Pregnancies from Patagonia
by Matías Araya, César Ulloa-Leal, Marcelo Ratto, Francisco Sales, Víctor H. Parraguez and Camila Sandoval
Animals 2026, 16(10), 1499; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16101499 - 14 May 2026
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Nutrient restriction (NR) increases small-for-gestational-age (SGA) offspring; however, some NR ewes deliver Non-SGA lambs. We evaluated whether fetal biometry and Doppler indices could distinguish divergent fetal growth trajectories. Ninety-five single-pregnant Corriedale ewes were assigned to NR grazing (n = 72) or supplemented [...] Read more.
Nutrient restriction (NR) increases small-for-gestational-age (SGA) offspring; however, some NR ewes deliver Non-SGA lambs. We evaluated whether fetal biometry and Doppler indices could distinguish divergent fetal growth trajectories. Ninety-five single-pregnant Corriedale ewes were assigned to NR grazing (n = 72) or supplemented Controls (n = 23) from gestational day (GD) 70 to 140. Fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), thoracic height (TH), umbilical cord diameter (UCD), and resistance (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices in umbilical (UA), cotyledonary (CA), and uterine (UtA) arteries were assessed at several GDs. Offspring within NR group was stratified by birth weight (BW) quartiles as SGA (n = 18) or Non-SGA (n = 18). At birth, BW differed (p < 0.05) among Control (4.95 ± 0.10 kg), Non-SGA (5.33 ± 0.06 kg), and SGA (3.79 ± 0.11 kg), with reduced BPD and FL in SGA lambs. Prenatal biometry did not differ. UA-RI at GD125 was higher in SGA (p < 0.005) and associated with BW (R2 = 0.15; p < 0.001). UtA indices were lower in SGA at GD110 and GD125 (p < 0.05) but weakly associated with BW (R2 ≤ 0.08). Doppler differences were detected before measurable growth divergence but have modest predictive value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Doppler Ultrasound in Animal Reproduction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 1291 KB  
Case Report
Doppler Ultrasonography for Assessing Uterine Viability and Fetal Vitality in Uterine Torsion in a Domestic Cat (Felis catus): A Case Report
by Catalin Micsa, Maria Roxana Turcu, Ioana-Raluca Prunean and Alexandru Diaconescu
Animals 2026, 16(17), 2806; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16172806 - 7 Sep 2026
Viewed by 365
Abstract
Background: Uterine torsion is rare in domestic cats and, when diagnosis is delayed, is associated with high maternal and fetal mortality. Conventional B-mode ultrasonography cannot reliably distinguish viable from devitalised uterine tissue, and Doppler ultrasonography, despite its capacity to assess uterine, ovarian, and [...] Read more.
Background: Uterine torsion is rare in domestic cats and, when diagnosis is delayed, is associated with high maternal and fetal mortality. Conventional B-mode ultrasonography cannot reliably distinguish viable from devitalised uterine tissue, and Doppler ultrasonography, despite its capacity to assess uterine, ovarian, and fetal perfusion, has not been systematically applied to feline uterine torsion. Case Description: A 4-year-old queen in late gestation presented with acute abdominal pain, lethargy, abdominal distension, and tachypnoea. B-mode imaging showed an enlarged, fluid-distended uterine segment with thickened walls. Colour, spectral, and power Doppler revealed an absent to markedly reduced arterial flow distal to the torsion, elevated resistive and pulsatility indices in the uterine and ovarian arteries, and the loss of peripheral perfusion. The absence of fetal heartbeats and umbilical flow confirmed fetal nonviability. Laparotomy confirmed the torsion of a congested, devitalised uterine horn, with asymmetric fetal loading (two kittens in the torted horn, one fetal resorption in the contralateral horn) as the likely biomechanical cause. Ovariohysterectomy was performed without derotation. Histopathology confirmed haemorrhagic necrosis, and haematology showed severe regenerative anaemia and marked leucocytosis, which resolved progressively after surgery. Conclusions: Doppler ultrasonography supplied vascular and fetal viability information unavailable from B-mode imaging alone, supporting ovariohysterectomy over conservative detorsion. Based on the feline case reports identified during the preparation of this report, this appears to be among the first descriptions of a systematic, multi-vessel Doppler protocol combining colour, power, and spectral modalities with resistive and pulsatility index measurements in feline uterine torsion; as this observation derives from a single case, it should be regarded as preliminary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Doppler Ultrasound in Animal Reproduction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop