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Diagnosis of right coronary artery to right atrial fistula in a dog using two‐dimensional echocardiography
Author(s) -
Jacobs G. J.,
Calvert C. A.,
Hall D. G.,
Kraus M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of small animal practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1748-5827
pISSN - 0022-4510
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1996.tb02422.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , right atrium , right coronary artery , atrium (architecture) , fistula , atrial septum , artery , endocarditis , radiology , atrial fibrillation , coronary angiography , myocardial infarction
A five‐year‐old boxer dog developed cardiac murmurs, complete heart block and car‐diomegaly associated with vegetative bacterial endocarditis. Using two‐dimensional echocardiography, vegetative lesions of the aortic valves and extension of the vegetations into the proximal right coronary artery and adjacent atrial septum were identified. The vegetation within the atrial septum appeared as a cavitated mass which protruded into the right atrium. Fistulae within the atrial septal vegetation permitting communication between the coronary artery and right atrium were observed with colour Doppler echocardiography. The dog died despite medical treatment. Post mortem examination confirmed the echo‐cardiographic findings. Vegetative endocarditis with invasion into the right coronary artery and atrial septum producing fistulae and communication with the right atrium has not been reported previously in dogs. Doppler echocardiography proved useful in demonstrating the abnormal anatomy, intraluminal fistular blood flow and its communication with the right atrium.