Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats collapsing with severe heart changes linked to thickened heart
By Seo, J et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2024·School of Veterinary Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical signs associated with severe ST segment elevation in three cats with a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Three cats were brought in for unusual collapsing episodes, and tests showed they all had a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Continuous heart monitoring revealed that their collapsing coincided with severe changes in their heart's electrical activity. The first cat was treated with medications but did not improve and was euthanized due to a poor quality of life, later found to have cardiac lymphoma. The second cat was also euthanized before treatment due to suspected lymphoma. The third cat received treatment that helped reduce its episodes, but it eventually developed heart failure and was euthanized as well.
People also search for: cat collapsing episodes · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · cat heart failure treatment · cat lymphoma symptoms · cat heart medication effectiveness
Abstract
Three cats were presented for unusual collapsing episodes. Echocardiography revealed a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotype in each cat. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring showed that the clinical signs coincided with periods of severe ST-segment elevation in each cat. The first cat was treated with amlodipine and diltiazem but did not improve and was euthanized due to poor quality of life. Postmortem examination revealed cardiac lymphoma without obstructive coronary disease. The second cat was thought to have cardiac lymphoma, based on pericardial effusion cytology, and was euthanized before starting therapy. The third cat was diagnosed with HCM and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and was treated with atenolol and diltiazem. This treatment reduced the frequency of episodic clinical signs, but the cat subsequently developed congestive heart failure and was euthanized. This case series describes clinical signs associated with severe ST elevation in cats with an HCM phenotype, and their outcomes. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring was necessary to detect transient ST elevation in each case.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39004067/