Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with air around heart linked to lung bubble and cough
By Leclerc, Amelie et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2004·Department of Clinical Studies, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pneumopericardium associated with a pulmonary-pericardial communication in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old Standard Poodle was brought in for coughing, and during tests, the vet discovered she had pneumopericardium, which is an unusual condition where air builds up around the heart. A CT scan showed that this air was coming from a lung bulla, a type of air-filled sac, that was connected to the pericardial cavity. Because the condition could lead to serious heart issues, the vet performed surgery to remove the affected part of the lung and repair the pericardium. Thankfully, the dog recovered well after the surgery without any complications.
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Abstract
A 6-year-old 18-kg (39-lb) spayed female Standard Poodle was referred for treatment of pneumopericardium. The dog did not have severe clinical signs relating to the pneumopericardium, and the diagnosis was made incidentally while investigating the cause of a cough. Computed tomography revealed an air-filled structure consistent with a bulla to the right of the heart base that appeared to communicate with the pericardial cavity Because spontaneous resolution of the pneumopericardium seemed unlikely and cardiac tamponade was a possibility, exploratory thoracotomy was performed. A lobulated bulla was found at the hilus of the right middle lung lobe adhered to the underlying pericardial sac, and a 4-cm-diameter communication from the pericardium to the pulmonary bulla was found. Right middle lung lobectomy was performed, and the pericardiotomy and pericardial opening were sutured. The dog recovered without complications. In previously reported cases of pneumopericardium involving a cat and a dog, the condition resolved spontaneously. In this dog, in contrast, surgical resection of the affected lung lobe with pericardial reconstruction was required for resolution of the pneumopericardium.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15002809/