Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kitten with partial abnormal lung vein connection causing symptoms
By Hsueh, Tung et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2020·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Symptomatic partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in a kitten.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old female American Shorthair kitten was brought to the vet because she was fainting and having trouble breathing. After several tests, including X-rays and an ultrasound of her heart, the vet discovered a serious heart condition called partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC), where most of her pulmonary veins were incorrectly connected to the heart. The kitten was treated with diuretics to help manage her symptoms, but unfortunately, she passed away from heart failure two months later. This case highlights the severe nature of PAPVC in young kittens and the poor prognosis associated with it.
People also search for: kitten fainting and breathing problems · American Shorthair heart condition · treatment for kitten heart failure
Abstract
A 3-month-old intact female American Shorthair cat, with syncope and tachypnea, underwent cardiac examination which identified no heart murmur or gallop. Thoracic radiography disclosed mild generalized enlargement of the cardiac silhouette and a bronchial and interstitial pattern throughout the lungs. Echocardiography identified tubular structures near the left atrium. After agitated saline contrast imaging, persistent left cranial vena cava with unroofed coronary sinus was suspected. Computed tomography angiography showed the right cranial, right caudal and left caudal pulmonary veins draining into the coronary sinus and flowing into the right atrium. The left cranial pulmonary vein drained normally into the left atrium. Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) was diagnosed. The kitten was treated with diuretics but died of heart failure 2 months later. Permission for necropsy was not granted. This case represents symptomatic PAPVC in a kitten. Most pulmonary veins were connected abnormally with the coronary sinus. The prognosis was grave because of refractory heart failure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33063892/