Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Foal with heart problem and breathing trouble
By Patterson-Kane, Janet C & Harrison, Lenn R·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2002·Department of Veterinary Science, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Giant right atrial diverticulum in a foal.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-month-old male Thoroughbred foal, who had been dealing with a long-term infection in his hock joint and recently started having trouble breathing, was put to sleep for humane reasons. After he passed away, a thorough examination revealed a large pouch connected to the right side of his heart. This pouch was made of heart muscle tissue and had unusual blood-filled spaces. The examination also showed signs that his heart was not working properly on the right side. This type of heart pouch is very rare in both humans and foals, and this is the first time it has been reported in a foal.
Abstract
A 5-month-old male Thoroughbred foal with a history of chronic septic arthritis of the tibiotarsal joint and recent respiratory distress was euthanized and a postmortem examination performed. A giant diverticulum communicating with the lateral aspect of the right atrial cavity of the heart was observed. Histologically, the wall was comprised of myocardial tissue containing cavernous vascular spaces. There was gross and histologic evidence of right-sided heart failure. Congenital right atrial diverticula are rare anomalies in humans and have not previously been reported in foals.
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/12152816/