Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Echocardiography accuracy for heart fluid in 107 dogs
By MacDonald, Kristin A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2009·Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Echocardiographic and clinicopathologic characterization of pericardial effusion in dogs: 107 cases (1985-2006).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 107 dogs with fluid around the heart (pericardial effusion) were examined to see if echocardiography could help identify any heart masses. The tests showed that echocardiography was very effective, correctly identifying heart masses in about 82% of cases. Most of the masses found were serious conditions like hemangiosarcoma or mesothelioma, which can spread to other parts of the body. Unfortunately, many of these masses had a high rate of metastasis, meaning they could spread to other areas. This study highlights the importance of echocardiography in diagnosing heart issues in dogs with pericardial effusion.
People also search for: dog pericardial effusion symptoms · echocardiogram for dog heart mass · dog heart cancer treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography for diagnosis of cardiac masses in dogs with pericardial effusion. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 107 dogs with pericardial effusion. PROCEDURES: Records of dogs with pericardial effusion examined at the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 1985 to 2006 were reviewed. Dogs were included when echocardiography and pericardectomy or necropsy were performed. Sensitivity, specificity, and metastatic rates were calculated for various causes of pericardial effusion. RESULTS: 107 dogs with pericardial effusion were evaluated by surgery (n = 48 dogs), necropsy (44), or both (15). Echocardiography revealed no mass (n = 41 dogs), a right atrial (RA) mass (38), a heart base (HB) mass (23), a pericardial mass (2), an HB and an RA mass (2), and a right ventricular mass (1). Sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 100%, respectively, for detection of a cardiac mass; 82% and 99%, respectively, for detection of an RA mass; and 74% and 98%, respectively, for detection of an HB mass. Most HB masses were neuroendocrine or ectopic thyroid gland tissue, but 3 were hemangiosarcomas and 4 were mesotheliomas. Most RA masses were hemangiosarcomas, but this group also included a neuroendocrine tumor, ectopic thyroid gland tissue, mesothelioma, lymphosarcoma, and sarcoma. Metastatic rates did not differ (50% to 66%) among neoplastic causes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Echocardiography had high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis and differentiation of RA or HB masses in dogs with pericardial effusion. There was a high rate of metastasis for cardiac masses of all causes.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20001781/