Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Aortic dissection and heart problems in four cats explained
By Oricco, S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2019·Centro Veterinario Imperiese, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Aortic dissection in four cats: clinicopathological correlations.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Four cats were diagnosed with aortic dissection, a serious condition where the aorta has a tear that can lead to bleeding. Three of the cats showed sudden signs of distress, including fluid around the heart, while one had a more gradual onset of symptoms. Two of the cats also had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that may have contributed to the dissection. The cats were evaluated using echocardiography, which helped in diagnosing the issue. Unfortunately, the outcomes for these cats were not detailed, but the findings highlight the importance of monitoring heart health in cats.
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Abstract
Aortic dissection (AD) is characterized by bleeding within the aortic wall or a tear in the intimal layer of the aortic wall, resulting in the passage of blood from the aortic lumen into the tunica media. In cases of AD, a floating, intimal flap in the aortic lumen divides the lumen into a true portion, with flow present, and a false portion, with no flow. We describe a series of 4 cats with AD of the ascending aorta and moderate aortic insufficiency. Three cats had an acute onset of clinical signs with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade, whereas one cat showed a chronic onset without pericardial effusion. Detailed gross and histopathological characterization is available for two cats, which revealed the typical features of AD. One cat also showed connective tissue abnormalities, microscopically resembling Marfan-like syndrome. Concomitant detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2 cats represents a novel finding in the veterinary literature. Feline AD is generally associated with systemic hypertension. In all the cats of this case series, blood pressure was normal at presentation, although systemic hypertension before the acute dissection cannot be ruled out. In humans, hypotension is more common with AD of the ascending aorta, so the anatomical location could also play a role in cats. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats could have been a potential trigger of AD through shear stress. Transthoracic echocardiography, as herein demonstrated, can be considered as a rapid, non-invasive and useful method for the diagnosis of dissection at the level of the ascending aorta.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31669853/