Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Confirmation by Doppler echocardiography of valvular regurgitation in a horse with a ruptured chorda tendinea of the mitral valve.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 1990
- Authors:
- Marr, C M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse experienced sudden trouble breathing and a heart murmur, which led to a diagnosis of blood leaking backward through the left atrioventricular valve due to a tear in one of the supportive cords of the valve. This severe leakage was confirmed using a special ultrasound technique called Doppler echocardiography, and another type of ultrasound showed that part of the valve was not functioning properly. After the horse passed away, a post-mortem examination revealed the tear in the valve's supportive cord and other lung issues, including inflammation and bleeding. Unfortunately, the treatment options were not effective in saving the horse.
Abstract
Regurgitation of blood through the left atrioventricular valve owing to the rupture of one of the chordae tendineae of the valve was diagnosed in a horse with sudden-onset respiratory distress and a holosystolic cardiac murmur. Severe regurgitation was confirmed with Doppler echocardiography and prolapse of part of the valve leaflet was identified with B-mode ultrasonography. The rupture of one of the chordae tendineae of a right accessory cusp of the left atrioventricular valve was confirmed post mortem. Bronchiolitis, multifocal haemorrhages and haemorrhagic fibrous plaques were found in the pleura of the dorsocaudal segments of the lungs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2260252/