Constrictive pericarditis in a mare: attempted treatment by partial pericardiectomy.
Chronic constrictive pericarditis was diagnosed in a 6-year-old Thoroughbred mare based on the clinical findings of right congestive heart failure, hyperechoic pericardium without pericardial effusion, and a dip-and-plateau shape of the right ventricular pressure curve with equilibration of the diastolic pressures in all cardiac chambers. Treatment was attempted by partial pericardiectomy using a right lateral thoracotomy approach. Because of severe epicardial involvement recurrence of the constrictive pathology was noted 6 weeks after the surgical procedure. However, in selected cases in which the disease process is limited to the pericardium, partial pericardiectomy may offer a mode of therapy in horses suffering from constrictive pericarditis.
Hardy
J
J
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus.
Robertson
J T
JT
Reed
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006736:Horses; D010492:Pericardiectomy / Q000662:veterinary*; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D012008:Recurrence