title: Left ventricular inflow tract obstruction secondary to a myxoma in a dog.
abstract: This is the first description of a left ventricular inflow tract obstruction secondary to a myxoma in a dog. A 4 yr old, male fox terrier presented with a 1 mo history of cough and exercise intolerance. Expiratory dyspnea, pulmonary crackles, irregular cardiac rhythm, and a grade 4/6 pansystolic cardiac murmur over the left cardiac apex were the most important features on physical examination. The electrocardiogram revealed atrial fibrillation. Thoracic radiographs showed left-sided cardiac enlargement and mild pulmonary edema, especially in the hilar area. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography showed severe left atrial dilation and a homogenous, echodense mass involving both leaflets of the mitral valve and the posteromedial papillary muscle, inducing mitral stenosis. Spectral Doppler echocardiography was consistent with severe left ventricular inflow tract obstruction secondary to a mass. Therapy for congestive heart failure was prescribed. Follow-up examinations of the dog 1 mo, 2 mo, and 6 mo after diagnosis showed an improvement in clinical signs, but similar echocardiographic features. Eleven months after diagnosis, the dog was euthanized at the owner's request because of recurrent congestive heart failure. The postmortem examination showed the cardiac tumor was consistent with a myxoma.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. mjfp@um.es
authors.forename: M Josefa
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fernandez-del Palacio
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Talavera
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*