Ventricular septal defect and double-chambered right ventricle in an alpaca

Balloon valvuloplasty in 2 juvenile alpacas with severe valvular pulmonic stenosis

Two juvenile alpacas, 1 male and 1 female, were presented for evaluation of grade V/VI bilateral basilar systolic heart murmurs. Both animals were ultimately diagnosed with severe valvular pulmonic stenosis and a small ventricular septal defect. Transvenous balloon valvuloplasty was performed in each animal using methods described in the dog. A double balloon technique was employed in the first case, with a balloon‐annulus ratio of ~1.55. For the second case, a high‐pressure dilatation balloon catheter with a balloon‐annulus ratio of ~1.33 was selected. Experience with both procedures indicates that balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty is technically feasible in alpacas using techniques extrapolated from those used in dogs. Furthermore, accepted criteria for procedural success were fulfilled for both alpacas, with more than a 50% reduction in the echocardiographically derived transpulmonic pressure gradient after intervention.

Prevalence of coat colour traits and congenital disorders of South American camelids in Austria, Germany and Switzerland

BACKGROUND

The increasing popularity of alpacas and llamas outside of South America is undeniable. The associated limited genetic diversity raises questions about health and other genetically determined traits like coat colour. Therefore, a survey studying the prevalence of congenital disorders and coat colours and patterns in South American camelids was performed in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Moreover, the motivation for keeping these animals, the herd size and breeds was assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 146 questionnaires were returned corresponding to 16 farms from Austria, 69 farms from Germany, and 61 farms from Switzerland. In total, the returned surveys reported data on 2770 animals including ~ 85% alpacas and ~ 15% llamas. The most common alpaca breed was Huacaya (87.7%), the most common llama breed was Wooly (15.6%). Breeding (69.4%), wool production (63.3%) and keeping them as pets (53.7%) were the most common motivations to keep these animals, although this varied among countries. The three coat colour groups, solid white (24.8%), brown and black (64.8%) and grey (10.4%), occurred at different frequencies. About 7% of the South American camelids with solid white coat showed blue-pigmented eyes, corresponding to the known blue-eyed white phenotype, of which more than every second animal was apparently deaf. Uniform solid coloured animals occurred predominantly (81.4%), whereas pinto (8.8%), speckled (6.4%) and spotted (3.4%), also known as appaloosa, were comparably less prevalent. In total 161 observations of congenital disorders occurring during a 5-year-period were reported. The most prevalent disorders were in the group of musculoskeletal disorders such as spiral toe growth (16.4%), hyperextension of the fetlock joint (12.3%), angular limb deformities (11.0%) and axial rotation of the limbs (8.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

This survey revealed first insights into the occurrence of different traits and disorders in the current South American camelid population of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The identification of the most common musculoskeletal disorders might encourage the breeders to eliminate affected animals from their breeding program to decrease the incidence although traits such as spiral toe growth might also represent phenocopies.

Combined double chambered right ventricle, tricuspid valve dysplasia, ventricular septal defect, and subaortic stenosis in a dog

BACKGROUND

Double chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a congenital heart anomaly where the right ventricle is divided into two chambers. We describe, for the first time, an unusual combination of DCRV combined with some other congenital heart defects.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 1.2-year-old Golden Retriever was presented with lethargy, exercise intolerance and ascites. Physical examination revealed an irregularly irregular pulse and a grade V/VI, systolic, right cranial murmur. Electrocardiography revealed widened and splintered QRS complexes with a right bundle-branch block pattern. Radiography demonstrated right-sided cardiomegaly. Two-dimensional echocardiography identified a DCRV with tricuspid valve dysplasia. The patient died despite abdominocentesis and 4 days of oral pharmacotherapy, and necropsy revealed an anomalous fibromuscular structure that divided the right ventricle into two compartments. Another finding was tricuspid valve dysplasia with hypoplasia of the posterior and septal leaflets. The anterior leaflet was prominent, being part of the anomalous structure that divided the right ventricle. Necropsy also identified a perimembranous ventricular septal defect and mild subaortic stenosis. Histopathological examination of the fibromuscular band that separated the right ventricle identified longitudinally oriented layers of dense fibrous connective tissue and myocardial cells arranged in a plexiform pattern. The muscular component was well represented at the ventral area of the fibromuscular band, and was absent in the central zone. Superficially, the endocardium presented areas of nodular hyperplasia covering mainly the fibrous part of the abnormal structure. The nodules were sharply demarcated and were composed by loosely arranged connective tissue with myxoid appearance, covered by discrete hyperplastic endocardium.

CONCLUSIONS

Concomitant cardiac malformations involving DCRV, tricuspid valve dysplasia, perimembranous ventricular septal defect and mild subaortic stenosis have not been previously described in veterinary medicine, and are reported here for the first time. Moreover, this is the first report of a canine patient with tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) and DCRV where the anterior leaflet is part of an anomalous structure dividing the right ventricle (RV) into two separate compartments.