Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy as a cause of unexpected cardiac death in two horses.
Postmortem and histological examination of the hearts from two horses, a five-year-old Clydesdale gelding and a 15-year-old cob gelding, revealed changes characteristic of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In both cases, on gross examination, the right ventricular endocardium and interventricular septum were almost entirely replaced with a gelatinous yellow fibroareolar tissue. This tissue was histologically a combination of fibrous and adipose tissue that had replaced the normal myofibres and disrupted the Purkinje fibres.
Department of Pathology, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG. jk.freel@btopenworld.com
K M
KM
Freel
L R
LR
Morrison
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H
Thompson
R W
RW
Else
D000818:Animals; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D002423:Cause of Death; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004699:Endocardium / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000473:pathology; D006734:Horse Diseases; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male