Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with trouble breathing diagnosed and treated for constrictive
By Thomason, Justin D et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2012·Department of Small Animal Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Doppler echocardiographic diagnosis and surgical therapy of constrictive pericarditis in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old Ragdoll cat was brought in for breathing difficulties caused by fluid in the chest, known as chylous pleural effusion. Despite various tests, the cause of the fluid remained unclear, but specialized heart imaging revealed constrictive pericarditis, a condition affecting the heart's outer layer. The cat underwent surgery to remove part of the pericardium, and thankfully, it recovered well and is now healthy with no signs of heart problems six months later. This case highlights the importance of considering constrictive pericarditis in cats with unexplained fluid buildup in the chest.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · chylous pleural effusion in cats · Ragdoll cat heart surgery · constrictive pericarditis treatment
Abstract
A 4-year-old Ragdoll cat presented for dyspnea secondary to chylous pleural effusion to the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Physical examination, complete blood count, serum chemistries, urinalysis, thoracic radiographs, abdominal radiographs, and thoracic fluid cytology and culture failed to identify an etiology for the chylous effusion. The patient tested negative for feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus and heartworm disease. Respiration phasic influences on early diastolic trans-mitral, trans-tricuspid and pulmonary vein blood flow velocities during Doppler echocardiography were consistent with constrictive pericarditis. The cat underwent subtotal pericardectomy. The patient recovered without complication and is overtly healthy without radiographic or echocardiographic abnormalities 6-months post-surgery. Constrictive pericarditis should be considered in cats with idiopathic pleural effusion, with or without ascites, in which standard echocardiographic assessment is not suggestive of structural heart disease. If constrictive pericarditis is present, the Doppler characteristics outlined here may allow for this diagnosis to be made. Pericardectomy may be highly rewarding, although the specific etiology of the constrictive pericarditis may remain unknown.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22412166/