Subject(s)
Dog Diseases/diagnosis , Spondylitis/veterinary , Animals , Diagnosis, Differential , Dog Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Dog Diseases/surgery , Dogs , Female , Lameness, Animal/diagnosis , Lameness, Animal/diagnostic imaging , Lameness, Animal/surgery , Radiography , Spondylitis/diagnosis , Spondylitis/diagnostic imaging , Spondylitis/surgery , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and severity of pulmonary arterial lesions in cats seropositive for heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) but lacking adult heartworms in the heart and lungs during necropsy. ANIMALS: 630 adult cats from an animal control shelter in Florida. PROCEDURE: Cats were tested for adult heartworms in the heart and pulmonary arteries and antibody against heartworms in the serum. Histologic examination was conducted on the right caudal lung lobe of 24 heartworm- and antibody-positive cats; 24 heartworm-negative and antibody-positive cats; and 24 heartworm-, antibody-, and antigen-negative cats. Wall areas of 10 small to medium-sized pulmonary arteries of each cat were measured and expressed as a proportion of total cross-sectional area. RESULTS: Heartworm infection or seropositive status was significantly and strongly associated with seventy of medial hypertrophy of pulmonary arterial walls. Heartworm- and antibody-positive cats and heartworm-negative and antibody-positive cats had a significant increase in wall thickness, compared with wall thickness for heartworm- and antibody-negative cats. Heartworm- and antibody-positive cats had the most severe hypertrophy. The proportion with occlusive medial hypertrophy was significantly higher in heartworm- and antibody-positive cats (19/24 [79%]) and heartworm-negative and antibody-positive cats (12/24 [50%]), compared with heartworm- and antibody-negative cats (3/24 [13%]). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cats with serologic evidence of exposure to heartworms, including those without adult heartworms in the lungs and heart, have a greater prevalence of pulmonary arterial lesions than heartworm-negative cats without serologic evidence of exposure. Additional studies are needed to define the pathogenesis, specificity, and clinical importance of these lesions.
Subject(s)
Cat Diseases/pathology , Cat Diseases/parasitology , Dirofilaria immitis/immunology , Dirofilariasis/immunology , Pulmonary Artery/pathology , Vascular Diseases/veterinary , Analysis of Variance , Animals , Antibodies, Helminth/blood , Body Weights and Measures , Cat Diseases/immunology , Cats , Dirofilariasis/pathology , Female , Heart/parasitology , Lung/parasitology , Male , Vascular Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
Traumatic detachment of the mitral valve from the annulus fibrosis occurred in a dog following blunt chest trauma. Euthanasia was elected approximately 7 months posttrauma due to refractory, chronic left heart failure. This is the first reported case of traumatic mitral valve rupture in a dog.
Subject(s)
Dog Diseases/etiology , Heart Failure/veterinary , Mitral Valve/injuries , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/veterinary , Acute Disease , Animals , Dogs , Fatal Outcome , Fibrosis , Heart Failure/etiology , MaleABSTRACT
Serological tests were performed on 380 cats with necropsy-confirmed heartworm disease to compare the performance of currently available commercial laboratory and point-of-care heart-worm serological tests in a heartworm-endemic area. Overall, antigen tests detected 79.3% to 86.2% of heartworm infections and were highly specific. Most cats with false-negative antigen tests had a single male worm. Antibody tests detected 62.1% to 72.4% of heartworm infections and had a wider range of false-positive results (1.4% to 19.1%) than antigen tests (0.3% to 2.0%). Serological tests for feline heartworm infection varied in diagnostic performance. Combining results from antigen and antibody tests achieved greater sensitivity than using either test alone.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Helminth/blood , Antigens, Helminth/immunology , Cat Diseases/diagnosis , Dirofilaria/immunology , Dirofilariasis/diagnosis , Animals , Cat Diseases/blood , Cats , Dirofilariasis/blood , Female , Male , Predictive Value of Tests , Sensitivity and Specificity , Serologic Tests/veterinaryABSTRACT
Necropsies were performed on 630 adult cats in northern Florida to determine the prevalence and risk factors for heartworm infection in cats of this region. Heartworms were identified in 4.9% of cats, and serological evidence of heartworm exposure was present in 17% of cats. Not all cats from which heartworms were recovered were seropositive for heartworm antigen or antibody. There was no association between heartworm infection and co-infection with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Male cats were at higher risk of infection with heartworm, FeLV, or FIV than were females. Because even a single heartworm can cause clinical disease or death in cats, the authors conclude that cats in this region should receive heartworm prophylaxis to prevent heartworm infection.
