Meet the Expert
Identification and history
Name: Pimpa
Report and medical history: dog, dachshund, female, 13 years old.
An abdominal ultrasound and echocardiogram was requested for loss of appetite, lethargy, and syncopal episodes.
Throughout the echocardiographic examination, a third-degree atrioventricular block is found on the basis of the electrocardiographic tracing.
Echocardiographic exam
Standard scan 2: In this video, the presence of a ventricular septal defect (VSD) is detected at the level of the membranous portion, near the right coronary aortic cusp, which indicates the presence of a systolic flow from the left ventricle to the right ventricle.
Visualization of the same defect is obtained in the short axis view from the right, at the level of the base of the heart.
Systolic flow through the VSD, with left-to-right shunt, measured by continuous-wave Doppler; this flow appears to be poorly measurable because of the third-degree AV block.
Conclusions and treatment:
The echocardiographic diagnosis was perimembranous/supracristal ventricular septum defect.
Interventional procedure for correction of third-degree AV block by pacemaker implantation is recommended.
Echocardiographic images were acquired with the MyLab™X8VET system.
Claudio Bussadori, DVM, MD, PhD, Dipl. ECVIM (Cardiology)
Clinica Veterinaria Gran Sasso, Milan.
MyLab is a trademark of Esaote spa.
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