Key result
Myocardial necrosis in dogs and cats presents with elevated AST in 100% of cases.
Why the study?
Clinical findings signaling acute or subacute myocardial necrosis in dogs and cats are often nonspecific due to concurrent diseases, necessitating detailed characterization.
Observational (n=28)
No
In dogs and cats with myocardial necrosis, clinical signs are often non-specific due to concurrent diseases, but dyspnea and elevated cardiac enzymes are frequent findings.
May prompt consideration of myocardial necrosis in dyspneic dogs and cats with enzyme elevations; leaves open prospective validation of diagnostic utility.
Records of final diagnoses based on necropsies performed on dogs and cats over a 4.5-year period at a university teaching hospital were examined for the diagnosis of acute or subacute myocardial necrosis. Clinical findings signaling the occurrence of myocardial necrosis were often not specific, due to simultaneously occurring disease processes. However, of 28 animals identified, dyspnea occurred frequently (17/28; 61%) and in some cases in the presence of minimal pulmonary pathology (2/3; 66%) or otherwise unexplained pulmonary edema (4/4; 100%). Elevations in serum aspartate aminotransferase (10/10; 100%) and creatine kinase (5/9; 55%) were also frequent. Disease processes associated with thrombus formation were present for each case in which a coronary artery thrombus occurred (5/28; 18%).
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Kidd et al. (2000) conducted an observational in Acute and subacute myocardial necrosis (n=28). Acute or subacute myocardial necrosis was evaluated on Clinical findings and coronary artery disease (dyspnea, enzyme elevations, coronary artery thrombus). Among 28 dogs and cats with myocardial necrosis, dyspnea occurred in 61%, elevated AST in 100%, elevated CK in 55%, and coronary artery thrombus in 18%.
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