Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Calcified heart valve mass in Maltese dog with Cushing's disease
By Wada, Tomoki et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Japan Animal Cardiovascular Care Team, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Calcified mass attached to mitral valve chordae tendineae in a dog with hyperadrenocorticism: A case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old spayed female Maltese was brought in with severe heart problems, specifically mitral regurgitation, due to a calcified mass on her heart valve caused by hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). The vet found a thickened mitral valve and a mass during an ultrasound and performed surgery to remove it. Unfortunately, the dog developed aspiration pneumonia after the surgery and sadly passed away two days later. This case shows that dogs with HAC can develop serious heart issues, including calcified masses.
People also search for: dog heart problems mitral valve · Maltese hyperadrenocorticism symptoms · dog surgery complications pneumonia
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dystrophic calcification affecting cardiac structures secondary to hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) is rare in dogs. This case report describes the clinical, imaging, surgical, and pathological findings of a 9-year-old spayed female Maltese dog with severe mitral regurgitation and HAC-related systemic calcification presenting as an intracardiac calcified mass. CASE PRESENTATION: Severe mitral valve thickening and a mobile hyperechoic mass attached to the chordae tendineae were detected on echocardiography. Mitral valvuloplasty was performed, and the calcified mass was excised. Histopathology confirmed a non-neoplastic calcified lesion. Computed tomography revealed extensive calcification in various tissues. The dog developed postoperative aspiration pneumonia and died on postoperative day 2. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the potential for intracardiac dystrophic calcification in dogs with HAC and severe mitral valve disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41350897/