Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with vena cava blockage and chylothorax after pacemaker surgery
By Mulz, Jennifer M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cranial vena caval syndrome secondary to central venous obstruction associated with a pacemaker lead in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old male Shih Tzu developed breathing problems due to a serious condition called cranial vena caval syndrome, which occurred three years after getting a pacemaker. The dog had fluid buildup in the chest (chylothorax) and imaging showed blockages in the veins leading to the heart. Treatments included surgery to remove the affected lymphatic tissue, but the fluid issue persisted, and attempts to widen the blocked vein were unsuccessful. Sadly, the dog later faced a severe complication and was euthanized.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · Shih Tzu pacemaker complications · chylothorax treatment in dogs
Abstract
This report describes the case of an 11-year-old castrated male Shih Tzu who developed chylothorax three years following implantation of a transvenous pacemaker. Imaging demonstrated one definitive obstruction in the cranial vena cava and 3 additional suspected filling abnormalities within both external jugular veins, brachiocephalic veins and cranial vena cava. A thrombus was visualized in the cranial vena cava via transesophageal echocardiography. Thoracic duct ligation and cisterna chyli ablation were performed, with a resultant change in the nature of the fluid from chylous to a modified transudate. Repeat angiography and computed tomography three months later demonstrated a stenosis within the cranial vena cava. Balloon angioplasty was attempted, however it was unsuccessful in decreasing pleural effusion. Palliative thoracocentesis was continued until the patient developed a lung lobe torsion, at which time euthanasia was elected. Necropsy confirmed cranial vena caval syndrome secondary to transvenous pacemaker implantation induced fibrous proliferation within the vessel lumen.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21051305/