Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Transient restrictive heart disease in cats - first case series
By Poissonnier, Camille et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Université, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Transient restrictive cardiomyopathy in cats: first reported case series.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 17 cats with transient restrictive cardiomyopathy (TRCM) was studied after they showed symptoms of congestive heart failure, like difficulty breathing. Most of these cats had a triggering event within a couple of weeks before their diagnosis. Unlike cats with non-transient restrictive cardiomyopathy, the TRCM cats were able to reduce or stop their diuretic medications, and they had a much better long-term outlook, with many surviving well beyond 6 years after diagnosis. This suggests that TRCM can resolve over time, leading to a good prognosis for affected cats.
People also search for: cat heart failure symptoms · cat congestive heart failure treatment · transient restrictive cardiomyopathy in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Transient myocardial thickening has been reported in cats. This clinical entity is characterized by reversible left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy often associated with left atrial (LA) dilation and congestive heart failure (CHF) that resolves over time. To the best of our knowledge, transient restrictive cardiomyopathy (TRCM) has not yet been reported in cats. OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, echocardiographic, and prognostic features of cats with TRCM. ANIMALS: 17 cats with TRCM and 16 control cats with non-transient RCM (NT-RCM). METHODS: Retrospective study. Clinical records of cats with an RCM phenotype (defined by normal LV dimensions with LA or biatrial enlargement) were searched in 6 veterinary databases. Cats with subsequent resolution of the RCM phenotype were included in the TRCM group and those with persistent RCM phenotype in the NT-RCM group. RESULTS: TRCM cats were significantly younger than NT-RCM cats ( = 0.003). An antecedent event was identified 24 h to 17 days before diagnosis in most TRCM cats (11/17), but in no NT-RCM cat. All TRCM cats and 12/16 NT-RCM cats had CHF, with a lower left atrium:aorta ratio in TRCM cats ( = 0.04). Diuretic treatment was discontinued (10/17) or decreased (7/17) in all TRCM cats, but in no NT-RCM cat. Median survival time of NT-RCM cats was 667 days whereas the Kaplan-Meier method estimated that 86% of the TRCM cats had not died from cardiac death 6,000 days after diagnosis ( = 0.003). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: TRCM occurs in cats with common antecedent events and with excellent long-term prognosis in most cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40487386/