Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with heartworm blocking leg artery treated with surgery
By Oldach, Maureen S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2018·William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Aberrant migration and surgical removal of a heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) from the femoral artery of a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat was brought in because it suddenly couldn't use its right back leg. Tests showed that a heartworm had migrated from its abdomen into the arteries of the leg, causing the problem. The cat tested positive for heartworm and had some heart issues as well. The veterinarian successfully removed the heartworm through surgery, and afterward, the cat's blood flow returned to normal, improving its ability to move the leg. While the cat still has some weakness in that leg, it is otherwise doing well.
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Abstract
A cat was evaluated for an acute-onset of right pelvic limb paresis. Thoracic radiographs revealed normal cardiac size and tortuous pulmonary arteries. Abdominal ultrasound identified a heartworm (HW) extending from the caudal abdominal aorta into the right external iliac artery and right femoral artery. The cat was HW-antigen positive. Echocardiography revealed a HW within the right branch of the main pulmonary artery and evidence of pulmonary hypertension. An agitated-saline contrast echocardiogram revealed a small right to left intracardiac shunt at the level of the atria. Surgical removal of the HW was performed with no substantial postoperative complications. There was return of blood flow and improved motor function to the limb. The cat remains mildly paretic on the affected limb with no other clinical signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29460457/