title: Echocardiographic diagnosis of a cardiac fibrosarcoma in the right atrium of a sheep.
abstract: This is a case report of a six-year-old female White Alpine sheep with a cardiac fibrosarcoma in the right atrium. Clinically, the sheep had right-sided cardiac insufficiency with tachycardia, engorgement of the jugular veins, brisket edema, and ascites. Chronic congestion of the liver resulted in increased hepatic enzyme activity. Based on clinical findings, a tentative diagnosis of endocarditis or pericarditis was made. Radiography of the thorax revealed hydrothorax. An echogenic mass was observed in the right atrium via echocardiography; it was interpreted as a tumor or thrombus. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed severe ascites and chronic congestion of the liver attributable to right-sided cardiac insufficiency. The clinical and sonographic findings were verified at post mortem. The mass in the right atrium was a pedunculated fibrosarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Veterinary Internal Medicine, University of Zurich.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pusterla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caplazi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D006325:Heart Atria; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D014463:Ultrasonography