Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with heart defects and lung artery disease died suddenly at 8
By Russell, D S et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2015·Department of Veterinary Biosciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy in a cat with non-restrictive ventricular septal defect and chronic pulmonary hypertension.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-week-old male domestic long-hair cat was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, which included a hole in the heart (ventricular septal defect) and chronic pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). Over the next 8 years, the cat was regularly monitored and managed but remained stable until it suddenly died at 8 years old. A post-mortem examination revealed severe lung changes known as plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy, which can occur with long-term pulmonary hypertension. The cause of death was determined to be a fatal heart rhythm problem, despite the absence of typical signs of heart failure.
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Abstract
A 10-week-old, male, domestic long-hair cat was medically managed for congenital heart disease over a period of 8 years. Regular clinical examinations, including sequential echocardiography, documented a non-restrictive paramembranous ventricular septal defect, secundum-type atrial septal defect and aortic dextroposition. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was diagnosed by the presence of high-velocity tricuspid regurgitation, bidirectional low velocity flow across the ventricular septal defect, pulmonary arterial dilation and severe right ventricular hypertrophy without evidence of pulmonary outflow tract obstruction. The cat remained clinically stable until it died suddenly at 8 years of age. Histopathology of the lungs found evidence of plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy. Despite severe pulmonary vascular lesions, other post-mortem evidence of right heart failure was lacking and death was attributed to a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. In this case report of a cat with chronic pulmonary hypertension over 8 years, plexogenic lesions were found on histopathology. The microscopic findings resemble those previously reported in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25728380/