Efusão pericárdica em um felino - relato de caso

Abstract

The pericardial effusion in cats is mainly associated with congestive heart failure due to cardiomyopathy. Other less common causes are various, such as cancer, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia, pericarditis and other infectious or inflammatory diseases. This report describes a case of pericardial effusion in a cat with nonspecific clinical signs, who was diagnosed with the pericardial effusion through radiography and echocardiography. Pericardiocentesis was performed guided by ultrasound and liquid analysis results along with the results of biochemical and blood tests, FIP was placed as the most probable cause of the effusion. The FIP is a fatal immune-mediated disease triggered by infection with feline coronoavírus. The transmission usually occurs by the oronasal route and cats are often infected with feline coronavirus non-pathogenic in the faeces containing the virus shed by cats with FIP or enteric coronavirus. The objectives of this report are to describe a case of hydropericardium in cats and also report the importance of echocardiography to differentiate a heart increase from pericardial effusion.