Aneurysmal dilatation of the right auricle in two dogs.
An 8-year-old sexually intact male Golden Retriever with a history of collapse during exercise underwent an examination during which tachydysrhythmia was identified. At another institution, a 12.5-year-old spayed female Lhasa Apso was referred because of a cough and for evaluation of a heart murmur. In the Golden Retriever, radiographic examination revealed bulging of the craniodorsal aspect of the cardiac silhouette and echocardiography revealed right atrial dilatation. In the Lhasa Apso, a cranial mediastinal mass was suspected on the basis of radiographic findings, but no abnormalities were detected echocardiographically. In both dogs, nonselective angiography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a markedly enlarged, thin-walled right auricle. Exploratory thoracotomy in the Golden Retriever revealed a defect in the pericardium through which the right auricle and part of the atrium had herniated. In dogs, a right auricular aneurysm should be considered in differential diagnoses of a cranial mediastinal mass (detected radiographically) adjacent to the cardiac silhouette.
Schwarz
Tobias
T
Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Willis
Ruth
R
Summerfield
Nuala J
NJ
Doust
Ross
R
D000818:Animals; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000662:veterinary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D006325:Heart Atria; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary