Canine Cardiac Tumors | Cardiac Tumors in Dogs

Although the overall prevalence of cardiac tumors is low, the increased use of echocardiography has made their antemortem diagnosis more common. Cardiac tumors in dogs can cause several clinical signs. It appears that cardiac tumors of all types, occur at a rate of about 0.19%. Dogs with cardiac tumors tend to be middle-aged or older. Over 85% of affected dogs are between 7 and 15 years of age; however, very old dogs (more than 15 yo) have a surprisingly low prevalence. Reproductive status influences the relative risk for cardiac tumors in dogs, despite a similar frequency of occurrence in males and females overall. Neutered dogs have a greater relative risk, especially spayed females, which have a four to five times greater risk than intact females. Intact and neutered males also have a greater risk than intact females. Certain breeds have a higher prevalence of cardiac tumor in dogs - compared to the general population.

By far the most commonly reported cardiac tumor in dogs is hemangiosarcoma. Most are located in the right atrium and/or right auricle; some also infiltrate the ventricular wall. Hemangiosarcomas commonly are associated with hemorrhagic pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Metastases have frequently occurred by the time of diagnosis. Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Afghan Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, English Setters and Labrador Retrievers, among others, are at higher risk for this tumor.

Masses at the heart base are the second most frequently reported cardiac tumors in dogs. They are usually neoplasms of the chemoreptor aortic bodies, ectopic thyroid tissue, or ectopic parathyroid tissue, or are mixed-cell type. Heart base tumors tend to be locally invasive around the root of the aorta and surrounding structures; metastases to other organs have been reported but are rare. Clinical signs associated with heart base tumors are usually related to the development of pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Other primary tumors involving the heart are rare in dogs but have included myxoma, intracardiac ectopic thyroid tumors, including lymphoma, other sarcomas and various carcinomas.

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Cardiac arrhythmias in a given animal often occur inconsistently and are influenced by drug therapy, prevailing autonomic tone, baroreceptor reflexes, and variations in heart rate. Treatment decisions are based on consideration of the origin (supraventricular or ventricular), timing (premature or escape), and severity of the rhythm disturbance, as well as the clinical context. Correct ECG interpretation is obviously important. Although a routine (resting) ECG documents arrhythmias present during the recording period, it provides only a glimpse of the cardiac rhythms occurring over the course of the day.

Because arrhythmias can have marked variation in frequency and severity over time, potentially critical arrhythmias can easily be missed. For this reason, Holter monitoring or other forms of extended ECG acquisition are useful in assessing the severity and frequency of arrhythmias and for monitoring treatment efficacy. Some rhythm abnormalities do not require therapy, whereas others demand immediate, aggressive treatment. Close patient monitoring is especially important in animals in more serious arrhythmias.

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Symptoms of pulmonary edema in dogs.

Pulmonary interstitial fluid accumulation causes the pulmonary parenchyma to appear hazy; pulmonary vessels become ill defined, and bronchial walls thicken. As pulmonary edema in dogs worsens, areas of fluffy or mottled fluid opacity progressively become more confluent. Alveolar edema causes greater opacity in the lung fields and obscure vessels and outer bronchial walls. The air-filled bronchi appear as lucent, branching lines surrounded by fluid density (air bronchograms).

Interstitial and alveolar patterns of pulmonary infiltration can be caused by many pulmonary disease as well as by cardiogenic edema. The distribution of these pulmonary infiltrates is important, especially in dogs. Cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs is generally located in dorsal and perihilar areas and is often bilaterally symmetric. In contrast, the distribution of cardiogenic edema in cats is usually uneven and patchy; the edema is either distributed throughout the lung fields or concentrated in the middle zones. Radiographic technique as well as the phase of respiration influence the apparent severity of interstitial disease.

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