Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy as a cause of unexpected cardiac death in two horses.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Freel, K M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study of two horses, a five-year-old Clydesdale gelding and a 15-year-old cob gelding, both were found to have a serious heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can lead to sudden heart failure. After they passed away, examinations showed that their hearts had abnormal tissue replacing normal heart muscle, which can disrupt the heart's electrical signals. This condition can be dangerous and is a known cause of unexpected cardiac death in horses. Unfortunately, both horses had this condition, which likely contributed to their sudden deaths.
Abstract
Postmortem and histological examination of the hearts from two horses, a five-year-old Clydesdale gelding and a 15-year-old cob gelding, revealed changes characteristic of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In both cases, on gross examination, the right ventricular endocardium and interventricular septum were almost entirely replaced with a gelatinous yellow fibroareolar tissue. This tissue was histologically a combination of fibrous and adipose tissue that had replaced the normal myofibres and disrupted the Purkinje fibres.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20525948/