Open AccessCardiac diagnostic test results and outcomes in 44 dogs naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi
Author(s) -
Matthews Derek J.,
Saunders Ashley B.,
Meyers Alyssa C.,
Gordon Sonya G.,
Hamer Sarah A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/jvim.16166
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , troponin i , myocarditis , ventricle , trypanosoma cruzi , univariate analysis , confidence interval , chagas disease , troponin , atrioventricular block , multivariate analysis , pathology , parasite hosting , myocardial infarction , world wide web , computer science
Background The protozoal parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes myocarditis in dogs. Objectives To describe the cardiac diagnostic test results and outcomes of dogs naturally infected with T. cruzi . Animals Forty‐four client‐owned dogs. Methods Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify dogs with an indirect fluorescent antibody test result for T. cruzi ≥1 : 80. Data collected included signalment, cardiac diagnostic test results (ECG, echocardiography, cardiac troponin I) and outcome. Outcomes were categorized as alive, dead (cardiac or noncardiac) or lost to follow up. Results ECG abnormalities were present in 41 dogs with ventricular arrhythmias (n = 28) and atrioventricular block (AVB) (n = 15) most commonly identified. Echocardiographic chamber enlargement was present in 28 dogs and most often included the right ventricle (RV) (n = 15) and left atrium (n = 12). Troponin was ≥2 times the reference range in 20/36 (56%) dogs. In univariate analysis using nonparametric Kaplan‐Meier, ventricular arrhythmias with a modified Lown score ≥2 ( P = .02), presence of AVB ( P = .04), and RV enlargement ( P = .006) were associated with decreased survival times. Right ventricular enlargement (HR 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4‐9.3; P = .007) and higher body weight at presentation (HR 1.0; 95% CI 1.0‐1.1; P = .04) were associated with decreased time to death in the final explanatory multivariable model. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Cardiac abnormalities were common and variable, and RV enlargement was associated with shorter survival time. A diagnostic evaluation that includes screening for arrhythmias, echocardiography, and cTnI can provide useful information related to the characterization of heart disease in dogs seropositive for T. cruzi .