Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with breathing trouble caused by heart tumor blocking blood flow
By Scurtu, I et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2020·University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Obstructive right ventricular outflow tract myxosarcoma in an adult dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female spayed German Shepherd cross was brought to the vet because she suddenly had trouble breathing. Her owner had noticed she wasn't eating well and was less active for a few days before that. The vet found fluid around her lungs and heart, along with a mass blocking blood flow from the heart. Unfortunately, due to the serious nature of her condition, the decision was made to euthanize her, and a postmortem revealed that the mass was a type of cancer called myxosarcoma.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · German Shepherd heart tumor · myxosarcoma in dogs
Abstract
An 8-year-old female spayed German Shepherd cross was presented for acute onset of respiratory distress. Four days before presentation, the owner noticed a reduced appetite and reluctance to move. Clinical examination identified muffled lung sounds and a left base, diamond-shaped systolic murmur graded 4/6. Echocardiography identified pleural and pericardial effusion, ascites and a myxoid mass (39 mm/18.9 mm) obstructing the right ventricular outflow tract and interfering with the pulmonary valve function. Given the poor prognosis, the dog was euthanatised, and a postmortem examination was performed. Grossly, a mass with a heterogeneous appearance was identified below the pulmonary valve leaflets. Based on histopathological and immunohistochemical findings, a diagnosis of intracardiac myxosarcoma affecting the subvalvular region of the pulmonary artery was made. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of right ventricle out flow tract myxosarcoma in the canine species.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32464578/