Imaging diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy in a maltese dog

Abstract

A 6-year-old, spayed female, Maltese dog with tachypnea and dry cough was presented to Gyeongsang National University Veterinary Medical Teaching hospital. On physical examination, its respiration rate was 132 per minute. Decreased partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and hyperlactatemia were found on arterial blood gas analysis. Its diastolic blood pressure was 80 mmHg. Auscultation revealed arrhythmia. Electrocardiogram revealed P pulmonale, P mitrale, and ventricular premature complexes. Thoracic radiographs revealed mild enlargement of both atrium and moderate enlargement of the left ventricular. There was also a moderate alveolar pattern in the right and caudal part of the left cranial lung lobe. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed enlargement of generalized four chambers without remarkable findings of valvular degeneration. M-mode echocardiography showed decreased left ventricular fractional shortening and enlarged left ventricular internal diameter at both end-systolic and end-diastolic. Color-flow Doppler imaging revealed eccentric turbulent flow starting below the left ventricular outflow tract and extending into the left atrium during systole. Spectral Doppler recordings revealed a high velocity flow through the mitral, tricuspid, aorta, and pulmonic regurgitation. Restrictive transmitral flow revealed high E-wave velocity, short E-wave deceleration time, and reduced A-wave velocity. There was also low ejection velocity thorough left ventricular out tract flow. Based on echocardiographic examination, dilated cardiomyopathy was the tentative diagnosis. The dog was medicated with inotropes, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, and diuretics. At the 10-day following-up, the dog died suddenly. This report describes echocardiographic diagnosis and prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy rarely reported in small breed dogs. ? The Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics.