Journal article
Intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses in dogs with severe Angiostrongylus vasorum infection: clinical, radiographic, and echocardiographic evaluation.
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Novo Matos J
Division of Cardiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: jmatos@vetclinics.uzh.ch.
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Malbon A
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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Dennler M
Section of Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Glaus T
Division of Cardiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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Published in:
- Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology. - 2016
English
BACKGROUND
In both humans and dogs the pulmonary vasculature is able to recruit large-diameter anatomical intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses (IPAVAs). In healthy people the opening of these anastomoses affects the degree of exercise-induced increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. The presence of these IPAVAs can be demonstrated using saline contrast echocardiography.
OBJECTIVES
The aims of the present study were to characterize severely affected, naturally infected dogs with Angiostrongylus vasorum, to evaluate if these dogs can open IPAVAs, and to assess if the recruitment of such anastomoses affects the severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH).
ANIMALS
Eight client-owned dogs with severe A. vasorum infection were recruited.
METHODS
Dogs with A. vasorum infection that presented with severe dyspnea and/or syncope were prospectively screened by echocardiography for the presence of PH and IPAVAs. Only severely affected dogs, based on a combination of clinical, radiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities, were enrolled.
RESULTS
Opening of IPAVAs could be demonstrated in three dogs with no to moderate PH, and could not be demonstrated in five dogs with severe PH. In two dogs thoracic radiographs showed only mild interstitial changes, while computer tomography and postmortem examination revealed severe pulmonary interstitial and vascular disease.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that dogs may open IPAVAs and that opening of such anastomoses may play a regulatory role in the development of PH. There may be a marked discrepancy between radiographic changes and disease severity in A. vasorum.
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Language
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Open access status
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closed
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Identifiers
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Persistent URL
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https://sonar.ch/global/documents/142132
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