Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery to treat infected heart lining and constriction in a dog
By Mastorakis, Andrea Nichole & Filliquist, Barbro·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2023·From Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (A.N.M.), United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Subtotal Pericardiectomy and Epicardiectomy for Treatment of Septic Pericarditis and Constrictive Epicarditis in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old spayed female Chihuahua was brought to the vet for breathing problems and an enlarged heart seen on X-rays. Tests showed she had fluid around her heart and signs of infection. The vet performed surgery to remove part of the pericardium (the membrane around the heart) and part of her lung to treat the infection. Although she had some complications afterward, including heart failure, a second surgery helped her recover. Ten years later, follow-up tests showed her heart was healthy with no further issues.
People also search for: Chihuahua breathing problems · dog heart surgery recovery · septic pericarditis treatment
Abstract
A 1 yr old, 1.7 kg, spayed female Chihuahua was presented for respiratory distress and an enlarged cardiac silhouette as seen on thoracic radiographs. Echocardiogram revealed pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Computed tomography revealed marked pleural and pericardial effusion, thickening of the pericardium caudally, and a mass along the mediastinum. Pericardial fluid obtained via pericardiocentesis showed suppurative inflammation with mixed anaerobic bacteria isolated on culture. Subtotal pericardiectomy and partial lung lobectomy was performed to treat septic pericarditis. Postoperative echocardiogram showed increased right-sided pressures consistent with constrictive epicarditis, and 10 days after surgery, the dog was re-presented for right-sided heart failure. An epicardectomy was performed. A definitive source of infection was not identified, although a penetrating foreign body (e.g., grass awn) was suspected. The dog recovered and 10 yr follow up revealed no evidence of constrictive pathology on echocardiogram. This case report demonstrates the successful treatment of septic pericarditis and constrictive epicarditis via subtotal pericardiectomy and epicardiectomy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37432788/