Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spontaneous heart echo contrast linked to heart failure risk in cats
By Peck, Courtney M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2016·Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency and Critical Care Department, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Retrospective evaluation of the incidence and prognostic significance of spontaneous echocardiographic contrast in relation to cardiac disease and congestive heart failure in cats: 725 cases (2006-2011).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 725 cats with heart disease underwent echocardiograms to check for a condition called spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC), which can indicate a higher risk of death. The study found that cats with SEC, especially those with certain types of cardiomyopathy (like dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), were more likely to face serious health issues compared to those without SEC. This suggests that these cats might benefit from treatments like anticoagulants to help reduce their risk of complications. Overall, if your cat has heart disease, discussing the possibility of SEC and appropriate treatments with your vet could be important for their health.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · cat cardiomyopathy treatment · cat anticoagulant therapy · why is my cat coughing · cat heart failure prognosis
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the presence of spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) in cats with cardiomyopathy is associated with increased mortality. To establish whether specific types of cardiomyopathy are more often associated with SEC in an attempt to provide a risk-stratification scheme for cats with increased risk of thromboembolic events. DESIGN: Retrospective study 2006-2011. SETTING: Tertiary referral and teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Seven hundred twenty-five client-owned cats undergoing echocardiographic evaluation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patient characteristics, including age, breed, clinical signs, type of cardiovascular disease, presence of SEC, and survival time were recorded. Thyroxine, HCT, and blood pressure were recorded when available. Among cats diagnosed with cardiac abnormalities based on echocardiographic findings, those with SEC were at significantly increased risk of death as compared to those without SEC. Cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, unclassified cardiomyopathy, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were significantly more likely to have SEC compared to cats with other types of cardiac disease. CONCLUSIONS: Cats with cardiomyopathy and SEC have an increased risk of death compared to cats without SEC, although other previously identified factors such as the presence of congestive heart failure and increased left atrium to aorta ratio remain important determinants of mortality. Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, unclassified cardiomyopathy, and dilated cardiomyopathy may benefit from anticoagulant therapy due to the increased risk of SEC in these subpopulations.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27479924/