Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Flail left heart valve flap from ruptured chords in 4 dogs detected
By Jacobs, G J et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·1995·Department of Small Animal Medicine, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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 detection of flail left atrioventricular valve cusp from ruptured chordae tendineae in 4 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Four dogs were diagnosed with a serious heart issue where a part of the left atrioventricular valve was flapping due to ruptured chordae tendineae, which are the strings that help keep the valve in place. This condition was linked to chronic valve degeneration, known as endocardiosis. The problem was detected using echocardiography, a special ultrasound for the heart, which showed the valve not closing properly. Unfortunately, all four dogs passed away, and the diagnosis was confirmed through further examination after death.
People also search for: dog heart problems symptoms · flail valve treatment in dogs · endocardiosis in dogs
Abstract
Echocardiography was used to identify a flail left atrioventricular valve cusp caused by ruptured chordae tendineae in each of 4 dogs; two-dimensional echocardiography was superior to M-mode echocardiography in identifying the flail cusps. The following findings on two-dimensional imaging were characteristic: the tip of the flail cusp extended beyond the line of left atrioventricular valve cusp closure and pointed toward the left atrium in systole; the tip was thrust into the left ventricle, and then toward the left ventricular outflow tract in diastole, forming a convex surface to the cusp, which faced toward the left ventricle. The flail motion of the left atrioventricular valve cusp was best observed in the right parasternal long axis or left apical four-chamber views, in a plane parallel to the long axis of the left ventricle and left atrium. Rupture of chordae tendineae leading to flail cusp was attributed to chronic valve degeneration (endocardiosis) in all 4 dogs. Echocardiographic or clinical diagnoses were confirmed by postmortem gross and microscopic studies in all dogs.
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/8531181/