Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with slow irregular heartbeat caused by heart cancer block
By Maneval, K L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2022·Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Third-degree atrioventricular block secondary to infiltrative cardiac hemangiosarcoma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male Pembroke Welsh Corgi was brought in because he had been lethargic, eating less, and occasionally vomiting for two months. He also had trouble exercising for the past two weeks and was found to have a slow and irregular heartbeat. Tests showed he had a serious heart condition called third-degree atrioventricular block, caused by a tumor in his heart. The veterinarian suggested a pacemaker to help, but the owner chose to euthanize him due to the uncertain outcome. A necropsy confirmed the presence of cardiac hemangiosarcoma, a type of cancer affecting the heart.
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Abstract
A nine-year-old male, castrated Pembroke Welsh Corgi presented with a two-month history of lethargy, hyporexia, and occasional vomiting. There was also a two-week history of exercise intolerance; no syncopal episodes were reported. Auscultation revealed bradycardia with an irregular rhythm and otherwise normal heart and lung sounds. Third-degree atrioventricular block was diagnosed. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography revealed a soft tissue structure arising from the atrioventricular junction and interatrial septum. There was scant abdominal effusion. Pacemaker implantation was offered, but the owner elected humane euthanasia due to the unknown prognosis. Necropsy was consistent with cardiac hemangiosarcoma infiltrating the interatrial and interventricular septum.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35709546/