Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Constrictive pericarditis in a mare: attempted treatment by partial pericardiectomy.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal
- Year:
- 1992
- Authors:
- Hardy, J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old Thoroughbred mare was diagnosed with chronic constrictive pericarditis, a condition where the heart's outer layer becomes thickened and restricts its movement, leading to right-sided heart failure. The diagnosis was based on her symptoms and specific heart pressure measurements. The mare underwent surgery to remove part of the pericardium, but unfortunately, the condition returned six weeks later due to severe involvement of the heart's surface. Despite this setback, the study suggests that in some cases where the disease is less severe, this type of surgery could still be a helpful treatment option for horses with constrictive pericarditis.
Abstract
Chronic constrictive pericarditis was diagnosed in a 6-year-old Thoroughbred mare based on the clinical findings of right congestive heart failure, hyperechoic pericardium without pericardial effusion, and a dip-and-plateau shape of the right ventricular pressure curve with equilibration of the diastolic pressures in all cardiac chambers. Treatment was attempted by partial pericardiectomy using a right lateral thoracotomy approach. Because of severe epicardial involvement recurrence of the constrictive pathology was noted 6 weeks after the surgical procedure. However, in selected cases in which the disease process is limited to the pericardium, partial pericardiectomy may offer a mode of therapy in horses suffering from constrictive pericarditis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1582396/