Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Right heart size and function in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
By Visser, L C et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2017·Department of Medicine & Epidemiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Echocardiographic Assessment of Right Ventricular Size and Function in Cats With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 81 cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a heart condition that can cause breathing problems and lethargy. Researchers found that cats with more severe HCM, especially those with congestive heart failure, had noticeable changes in the size and function of the right side of their heart. These changes were linked to the severity of their condition. The findings suggest that monitoring the right side of the heart in cats with HCM could help veterinarians assess how serious the disease is and guide treatment options.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · cat congestive heart failure treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating right ventricular (RV) structural and functional abnormalities in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are limited. HYPOTHESIS: Right ventricular structural and functional abnormalities are present in cats with HCM and are associated with clinical severity. ANIMALS: Eighty-one client-owned cats. METHODS: Retrospective 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic study. Right atrial diameter (RAD), RV free wall thickness (RVFWd), RV internal dimension (RVIDd), RV fractional area change (FAC), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) were measured in control cats (n = 26), cats with subclinical HCM (subclinical HCM; n = 31), and cats with HCM and congestive heart failure (HCM + CHF; n = 24). RESULTS: Right heart size (RAD, RVFWd, and RVIDd) and RV function (FAC and TAPSE) significantly (all P < .05) increased and decreased, respectively, in the HCM + CHF group compared with controls. In the subclinical HCM group, only RVFWd was significantly (P < .05) higher than in controls. Compared with reference intervals derived from controls, 29% of cats with HCM had increased RVFWd. Increased left ventricular free wall thickness, increased RVIDd and decreased TAPSE independently correlated with increased left atrial size. Cats with HCM and pleural effusion were significantly more likely to have increased RVFWd and had increased RAD and decreased TAPSE compared with cats without pleural effusion. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Right ventricular remodeling and dysfunction occur in some cats with HCM and may be associated with clinical severity. Our results support involvement of RV in the pathophysiology of HCM in some cats and support echocardiographic assessment of the RV in cats with HCM.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28295648/