Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog diagnosed with rare left coronary artery to lung artery fistula
By Agudelo, C F et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Veterinary Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Case report of an incidental left coronary artery to main pulmonary artery fistula in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old female Tatran hound was found to have a rare heart condition called a coronary artery fistula, where the left coronary artery connects to the main pulmonary artery. This was discovered during a routine heart check before anesthesia, using an ultrasound of the heart. The dog's history and other tests ruled out common causes like trauma or infection. While this condition is uncommon in dogs, the diagnosis was confirmed with a special imaging test called a CT scan. The dog’s treatment plan will depend on the severity of the condition and any symptoms she may show.
People also search for: dog heart problems · Tatran hound heart condition · coronary artery fistula in dogs
Abstract
A vascular communication between the left coronary artery and the main pulmonary artery (coronary fistula) was incidentally diagnosed in a 3-year-old female Tatran hound during a pre-anesthetic evaluation using echocardiography. Trauma and endocarditis were not suspected given the patient's history, clinical examination, and diagnostic imaging, which could have contributed to the development of this condition. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed dilation of the left coronary ostium, and continuous shunting on color and spectral Doppler was observed and this led to the diagnosis of coronary artery fistula. This diagnosis was confirmed through computed tomography. Coronary artery fistulas are infrequent findings in both humans and animals. According to the authors, this is the first reported clinical case of a congenital fistula between the left coronary artery and the main pulmonary artery in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40760024/