Aberrant Branch of the Bronchoesophageal Artery Resembling Patent Ductus Arteriosus in a Dog.

Abstract

ABSTRACT. An anomalous shunt between the bronchoesophageal artery and pulmonary artery was diagnosed in a 1-year-old, 3.5 kg female Miniature Dachshund by selective contrast angiography. A cardiac murmur had been observed in the dog during examination at another hospital. The machinery murmur was auscultated at the left side of the base of the heart. Although thoracic radiography revealed mild cardiomegaly, the characteristic findings of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), including as aortic arch enlargement and pulmonary artery enlargement were not observed. Echocardiography demonstrated shunting of blood flow presumably from the arterial duct at the pulmonary artery carina. Based on the above findings the case was diagnosed as PDA. Angiocardiography was performed to confirm the diagnosis in preparation for surgical treatment, but later we confirmed that the shunt vessel was not PDA, but apparently a branch of the bronchoesophageal artery. The shunt vessel was branching in a complicated manner and shunted to the pulmonary artery. KEY WORDS: bronchoesophageal artery, canine, PDA.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 63 (7): [819][820][821][822] 2001 Anomalies of the blood vessels of the heart have been reported in dogs. These anomalies include patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), vascular ring anomalies and anomalies of the aorta [5]. Among these, PDA is the most common congenital cardiovascular abnormality in dogs [5,7]. PDA can be diagnosed by demonstrating several characteristics, including machinery murmur, heard best over the left cranial thorax, left atrial enlargement, dilation of the aortic arch and main pulmonary artery on radiography and shunt blood flow inside the pulmonary artery on echocardiography [2,7]. But anomalies of the blood vessels that resembled on inspection view of PDA have been reported in a dog [12]. In that case, the shunt existed between the bronchoesophageal artery and the pulmonary artery. It is difficult to diagnose with noninvasion examinations, because it is similar to PDA in terms of hemodynamics. Such a case is very rare but differential diagnosis by cardiac catheterization is required prior to surgical correction.The present case was diagnosed as PDA on noninvasion examinations, but on cardiac catheterization the aberrant vessels were demonstrated thought to be a branch of the bronchoesophageal artery connected to the main pulmonary artery.A 12-month old, 3.5 kg female Miniature Dachshund was presented for evaluation of cardiac murmur. The dog was referred to the Azabu University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for further examination and treatment.Physical and biochemical examinations yielded normal findings, except a grade III/VI machinery murmur heard on the left side of the base of the heart. Electrocardiography revealed the presence of P pulmonale (Fig. 1). Phonocardiography showed a continuous murmur heard loudest at the time of the second heart sound (Fig. 2). Thoracic radiographs demonstrated mild cardiomegaly (vertebral heart size=VHS: 10.6v, cardiothoracic ratio=CTR: 73.3%) (Fig. 3). Two-dimen...

Identification and Surgical Ligation of Aortopulmonic Vascular Malformation Causing Left Heart Volume Overload in 4 Dogs

“…Vascular malformations involving the systemic and pulmonic circulations have been reported previously in dogs [4][5][6][7] under the nomenclature of aberrant bronchoesophageal arteries (ABAs), but this is the 1st case series to more fully elucidate their complex nature, to show they can lead to congestive heart failure, and to describe detailed imaging investigation, surgical appearance, and ligation for each dog with long-term follow-up. These malformations may have been congenital or acquired, but probably congenital at least in case 1 owing to the dog's young age.…”

“…5 This was performed without prior Doppler echocardiography or angiography. In other reports, surgery was not performed because of technical concerns 4 or because the volume overload was not considered clinically relevant and could be managed medically. 7 The volume overload changes seen, especially in cases 3 and 4, suggest that aortopulmonic vascular malformation, possibly with concurrent mild aortic stenosis, can result in hemodynamically important left-sided volume overload, tachyarrhythmias, and even left-sided congestive heart failure.…”

Anomalous broncho‐oesophageal arteries and peripheral systemic‐to‐pulmonary connections in an asymptomatic puppy

“…The dog in this report also had a left basilar continuous heart murmur. Differential diagnoses for a low grade, left basilar, continuous murmur in the dog also includes more serious lesions such as a small PDA, PDA with concurrent pulmonary hypertension and other abnormal shunts such as systemic-to-pulmonary shunting caused by anomalous broncho-oesophageal arteries (Bezuidenhout 1992, Yamane and others 2001, Fujii and others 2009). Systemic-to-pulmonary shunting caused by anomalous broncho-oesophageal arteries in the dog is often characterised by left basilar, continuous heart murmurs of relatively low grade (grades I–III / VI) (Fujii and others 2009).…”

“…Therefore, no conclusions can be made regarding progression of volume overload. Selective angiography can also be useful in the identification of these anomalous blood vessels, and this has been shown in an asymptomatic dog with suspected PDA (Yamane and others 2001). However the advantage of using CTA is that a more complete evaluation of the entire thorax can be achieved, and this was advantageous in the case described herein to identify peripheral pulmonary shunts.…”

“…PDA and haemodynamically significant VSD require medical or surgical intervention to prevent progression to CHF. Less commonly diagnosed, anomalous broncho-oesophageal arteries result in systemic-to-pulmonary shunting, which may also lead to pulmonary overcirculation (Yamane and others 2001). In normal lungs, the bronchial arteries communicate with the pulmonary artery only through a common capillary bed around the terminal bronchioles, causing a physiological, small amount of left-to-right shunting flow, which does not cause haemodynamic abnormalities (Ledda and others 2015).…”