Plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy in a Pembroke Welsh corgi

Abstract

A 21-month-old, male Pembroke Welsh corgi was referred for investigation of respiratory distress and progressive lethargy. Cardiac evaluation revealed a grade 4 pansystolic murmur over the left and right heart base. A heart murmur, dyspnoea, cyanosis, prolonged capillary refill time and ascites led to the tentative diagnosis of a cardiac malformation with a right-to-left shunt, with likely additional pulmonary disease. Pulmonary hypertension became evident during echocardiography, when the estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure was over 70 mmHg. Angiography revealed abnormal pulmonary vascular markings consistent with pulmonary hypertension and a small right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The diagnosis of PDA was confirmed at postmortem examination. Histology of the pulmonary arteries showed lesions of plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy. The question of whether both conditions were separate or part of the same clinical syndrome is discussed in this report.