Palliative combined cutting and high-pressure balloon valvuloplasty in six dogs with severe, symptomatic subaortic stenosis

Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis: Learning From Human and Canine Clinical Research

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS) is the most common congenital heart disease (CHD) in dogs and is also prevalent in human children. A fibrous ridge below the aortic valve narrows the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) and increases blood flow velocity, leading to devastating side effects in diseased patients. Due to the similarities in presentation, anatomy, pathophysiology, cardiac development, genomics, and environment between humans and dogs, canine SAS patients represent a critical translational model of human SAS. Potential adverse outcomes of SAS include arrhythmias, left-sided congestive heart failure, endocarditis, exercise intolerance, syncope, and sudden cardiac death. The greatest divergence between canine and human SAS clinical research has been the standard of care regarding treatment of these outcomes, with pharmacological intervention dominating best practices in veterinary medicine and surgical intervention comprising the standard practice for human SAS patients. Regardless of the species, the field has yet to identify a treatment option to prevent disease progression or permanently remove the fibrous ridge, but historical leaps in SAS research support a continued translational approach as the most promising method for achieving this goal.

Subaortic Cavitated Myxoma Causing Severe Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in a Young Dog

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Myxomas are rare tumors in dogs, in contrast to humans.

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Myxomas may cause left ventricular outflow tract obstructions.

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Primary cardiac tumors should be considered even in young dogs.

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Myxomas may be cavitated and dynamic.

Key considerations in the approach to congenital heart disease in dogs and cats

Congenital heart disease is an important subset of all cardiovascular disease in dogs and cats that is present at birth and most often detected in young animals but can be diagnosed in adulthood. The range of abnormalities that can occur during development of the heart is vast incorporating simple and complex defects, varying degrees of severity and clinical presentations that include heart failure and cyanosis. While some defects do not result in morbidity in an individual animal, others cause severe clinical signs and death at a young age. Advances in imaging and expanding treatment options offer increasingly more possibilities in the diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease which is the focus of this review. The objective is to provide a broad overview of current practice and highlight key aspects to guide practitioners in their approach to congenital heart disease diagnosis and knowledge of available treatment options.

Genetics of canine subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS)

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS) is one of the most common congenital heart defects of dogs. The disease is characterized by obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract, resulting in pressure overload on the left ventricle. The etiology of obstruction is a fibromuscular nodule, ridge, or ring of tissue that increases aortic outflow tract velocity. This review is focused on the prevalence, inheritance pattern, and current genetic insights of canine SAS. The prevalence of this disease was reported at 4.7 % in a large veterinary referral hospital. The mode of inheritance for this disease has also been described in breeds with a high disease prevalence such as the Bullmastiff, Bouvier des Flandres, Dogue de Bordeaux, Golden Retriever, Newfoundland, and Rottweiler. Genetic investigations seeking to identify causative mutations for SAS are lacking with only a single published variant associated with SAS in Newfoundlands.