Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How nuclear imaging found multiple heart shunts in a dog
By Bedoya Nader, G & Hogan, D F·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2020·Purdue University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Identification of multilevel right-to-left shunting in a dog using nuclear scintigraphy imaging.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 27-month-old male neutered French bulldog was brought in because he was experiencing worsening symptoms of polycythemia (an increase in red blood cells) and cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin) during exercise. He had a history of heart issues, specifically tricuspid valve dysplasia and a condition called patent foramen ovale, which can cause abnormal blood flow. To get a clearer picture of his heart's function, veterinarians used a special imaging technique called nuclear scintigraphy. This test confirmed that he had a serious condition called multilevel right-to-left shunting, which affects how blood flows through his heart.
People also search for: French bulldog heart problems · dog cyanosis causes · patent ductus arteriosus treatment in dogs
Abstract
A 27-month-old male neutered French bulldog that was originally diagnosed with tricuspid valve dysplasia and a bidirectional shunting patent foramen ovale was evaluated for progressive polycythemia and exertional cyanosis. There was a high clinical suspicion for a right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus, but given the presence of agitated saline within the left atrium, left ventricle, ascending aorta, and abdominal aorta from the previously diagnosed bidirectional shunting patent foramen ovale, a definitive diagnosis could not be made. The use of dynamic and static nuclear scintigraphy imaging using technetium-labeled macroaggregated albumin (Tc-MAA) allowed a definitive diagnosis to be made in this animal with multilevel right-to-left shunting as well as quantifying the severity of the right-to-left shunt in a minimally invasive and cost-effective manner.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32574980/