Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm burst into right atrium in dog
By Kochi, M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2026·Cross Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm ruptured into the right atrium in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu was brought to the vet because of a heart murmur. Tests, including X-rays and echocardiograms, revealed a serious condition where a part of her heart (the right sinus of Valsalva) had developed an aneurysm and ruptured into the right atrium, causing abnormal blood flow. Fortunately, the coronary arteries were normal, but this condition can be life-threatening. The dog will need careful monitoring and possibly surgery to address the aneurysm and prevent further complications.
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Abstract
A 10-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu was referred with a heart murmur. Auscultation revealed a continuous 4/6 right anterior chest basilar murmur. Chest X-ray showed no cardiac dilation or lung abnormalities. Short-axis view on transthoracic echocardiography revealed an aneurysmal dilation from the right sinus of Valsalva, with a defect opening into the right atrium. Colour Doppler echocardiography showed a continuous, turbulent flow through the defect, entering the right atrium from the aorta, along with mild mitral and moderate aortic regurgitations. Pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio was 1.11; no cardiac dilation was observed. Computed tomography angiography showed contrast influx into the right atrium, which connected to the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. The coronary arteries were normal. A ruptured right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into the right atrium was diagnosed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41289969/