Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Flail aortic valve seen on ultrasound in Boxer dog with heart
By Sottiaux, J & Franck, M·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·1998·Clinique Vé, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Echocardiographic appearance of flail aortic valve in a dog with infective endocarditis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old female Boxer was brought to the vet with severe heart problems caused by aortic valve endocarditis, which led to a flail aortic cusp and acute aortic insufficiency. This condition caused abnormal heart valve movements and affected how well the heart was pumping blood. The vet used echocardiograms to identify the issue and monitor the heart's function. Although the treatment details weren't specified, recognizing the specific heart valve problem was crucial for managing the dog's condition.
People also search for: Boxer heart problems · dog aortic valve endocarditis · dog heart murmur treatment
Abstract
A 4-year-old female Boxer was suffering from aortic valve endocarditis with perforation of the right coronary cusp resulting in a flail aortic cusp and subsequent acute aortic insufficiency. This flail aortic cusp was observed on M mode and two-dimensional endocardiograms as a free linear echostructure in the left ventricular outflow tract. Although rarely observed, a free linear echostructure seems more specific of a flail aortic valve than a shaggy echostructure, which can represent a free moving vegetation and thus be confusing. Severe acute aortic insufficiency resulted in an uncommon abnormal mitral valve motion in the absence of early mitral diastolic opening. The absence of early mitral valve opening was thought to be a consequence of coupled aortic regurgitation, reduced left ventricular compliance, and presumably delayed mitral valve opening secondary to coronary artery occlusion. An exaggerated septal diastolic dip accounted for the decreased transmitral inflow. All the usual contractility parameters were within normal range; subsequently, mitral valve motion alterations seem to be more reliable indicators of left ventricular dysfunction during acute aortic insufficiency.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9771596/