Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Persistent left cranial vena cava causing heart issues in a dog
By Yilmaz, Z et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2024·Department of Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Persistent left cranial vena cava in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old golden retriever was brought in because he was having trouble exercising. The vet found mild anemia but no other issues during the exam. An ultrasound of the heart showed a dilated coronary sinus, which suggested a condition called persistent left cranial vena cava. This condition was confirmed with further testing, and while the right side of the heart appeared normal, the left side showed signs of dysfunction. The dog may need ongoing monitoring to determine if this heart condition is affecting his health or if it's just a benign finding.
People also search for: dog exercise intolerance · golden retriever heart problems · persistent left cranial vena cava in dogs
Abstract
A 10-year-old golden retriever was presented for the evaluation of exercise intolerance. Physical examination and laboratory tests showed no abnormalities except for mild anaemia. Standard transthoracic echocardiography revealed dilated coronary sinus, raising suspicion of a persistent left cranial vena cava, and the persistency of this anomaly was confirmed by agitated-saline study. Right ventricular echocardiographic parameters did not change significantly, while conventional parameters and global longitudinal strain analysis revealed left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Moreover, post-systolic shortening and early systolic lengthening were detected by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. This report shows that post-systolic shortening and early systolic lengthening may be useful diagnostic markers indicating regional left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether persistent left cranial vena cava contributes to left ventricular systolic dysfunction or is an accidental benign finding in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39107231/