Combinations of pulmonary artery valve stenosis with other congenital heart defects in dogs

Abstract

The  paper  presents  statistical  results  of identifying combinations of various congenital heart defects in dogs of different breeds diagnosed with pulmonary artery valve stenosis. The study was retrospective, conducted on the basis of the Department of General, Private and Operative Surgery, as well as in the veterinary clinic of neurology, traumatology and intensive care. The total sample  amounted  to  100  animals.  All  animals underwent a complete physical examination. The morphofunctional state of the heart was evaluated. Diagnosis was made by echocardiography  using  Doppler.  Each  congenital heart defect was evaluated and studied separately, noting its individual features and hemodynamic  changes  in  the  combination  of several congenital anomalies of heart development.  The  study  was  conducted  before performing surgical treatment of pulmonary artery valve stenosis by balloon plasty of the pulmonary artery valve. This study included animals with other cardiac anomalies in addition  to  obstructive  right  ventricular  outflow tract disease. Among 100 dogs examined, the most frequent combined heart defect was Fallot's tetrad. This pathology was singled out separately, as its mechanism of development  differs  significantly  from  a simple combination of several anomalies of heart development. It is believed that this is one heart defect consisting of several components. In addition, atrial septal defect, mitral or tricuspid valve dysplasia, open ductus arteriosus,  and  aortic  valve  stenosis  were found in combination with pulmonary valve stenosis. Combined heart defects were most common  in  French  Bulldog  dogs  in  this study, as this is the most common breed of dog diagnosed with pulmonary valve stenosis.