Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Left heart dilation revealed after treating dog's lung hypertension
By Rogg, Sarah et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2021·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Unmasking of left heart dilation following treatment for precapillary pulmonary hypertension.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old spayed female dog was brought in for breathing problems, specifically rapid and labored breathing. She was diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the lungs, using ultrasound of the heart. After starting treatment with a specific medication, doctors found that her left heart had become enlarged, which hadn't been noticeable before. This case highlights the importance of closely monitoring heart size during treatment for dogs with certain heart conditions.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · treatment for pulmonary hypertension in dogs · enlarged heart in dogs
Abstract
A 13-year-old spayed female dog was referred for a history of tachypnea and dyspnea. Severe pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed based on tricuspid regurgitation velocities and 2-dimensional echocardiography. Left atrial size was normal at the time of this diagnosis. However, following treatment with a selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor, echocardiography revealed unmasking of left heart dilation. Key clinical message: If phosphodiesterase inhibition therapy is deemed appropriate in patients with hemodynamically important myxomatous mitral valvular disease, using the lowest effective dosage and careful monitoring with echocardiography ± thoracic radiographs should be considered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34728842/