Left-to-Left Acquired Cardiac Shunt: Aorto-Left Atrial Fistula Due to Aortic Infective Endocarditis in a Dog

Infective endocarditis is a severe but rarely diagnosed disease, characterized by the presence of bacterial infection at the level of the cardiac valves. Although the incidence of the disease is very low, the consequences are severe and the prognosis is very poor, outlining a high mortality rate amo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inAnimals (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 17; p. 2451
Main Authors Popa, Teodora, Peștean, Cosmin Petru, Constantin, Irina, Cofaru, Alexandra, Murariu, Raluca, Tăbăran, Flaviu-Alexandru, Scurtu, Iuliu Călin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 23.08.2024
Subjects
Abscesses
aortocardiac fistula
Biochemistry
cardiac shunt
Coronary vessels
Disease
Dogs
Doppler effect
Endocarditis
Fistula
Flow velocity
Heart
infective endocarditis
paravalvular abscess
Thromboembolism
Veterinary medicine
aortocardiac fistula
cardiac shunt
infective endocarditis
paravalvular abscess
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Infective endocarditis is a severe but rarely diagnosed disease, characterized by the presence of bacterial infection at the level of the cardiac valves. Although the incidence of the disease is very low, the consequences are severe and the prognosis is very poor, outlining a high mortality rate among cases. The present report highlights the case of a 7-year-old dog presented with abrupt changes in the respiratory pattern, obtunded and in lateral recumbency. The physical examination of the patient revealed fever and a IV/VI systolic heart murmur, with the point of maximal intensity on the left hemithorax. Echocardiography identified hyperechoic and cavitary changes beneath the aortic valves and a retrograde turbulent jet originating in the left ventricle outflow tract communicating with the left atrium through a rupture in the aortomitral intervalvular wall. Because of very unstable hemodynamic changes, the dog suddenly died despite the initiation of intensive care supportive treatment, and the postmortem evaluation of the heart confirms the suspicion of infective aortic endocarditis with the development of a paravalvular abscess and an aorto-left atrial fistula.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Case Study-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-4
content type line 23
ObjectType-Report-1
ObjectType-Article-3
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani14172451