Path 3: Disorders of the Pericardium, Epicardium & Endocardium

Lecture 3: Disorders of the Pericardium, Epicardium & Endocardium

Lecture 3: Disorders of the Pericardium & Endocardium

Describe Hydropericardium in terms of:

1. Definition

2. Acute Hydropericardium

3. Chronic Hydropericardium

1. Excess accumulation of clear, light yellow, watery serous fluid in pericardium, may contain small amounts of fibrin

2. Pericardium smooth + Glistening, Can cause cardiac tamponade (so much fluid heart cannot beat)

3. Epicardium/Pericardium may be opaque (mild fibrous thickening)

List the Causes of Hydropericardium

1. Generalised oedema

2. Congestive Heart failure

3. Pulmonary Hypertension

4. Hypoproteinemia

5. Systemic Vascular Injury

Describe Haemopericardium in terms of:

1. Definition

2. Causes of Haemopericardium

1. Accumulation of Blood in pericardial sac, can cause cardiac tamponade

2. - Spontaneous atrial rupture

- Cardiac neoplasia (Haemangiosarcomas)

- Idiopathic

- Rupture of intrapericardial aorta (Horses)

Describe the following Metabolic Altered Epicardial Diseases:

1. Serous Atrophy of Fat

2. Epicardial Mineralisation (Cardiac Calcinosis)

3. Urate Deposits (Visceral Gout)

1. Gelatinous pale epicardial fat (Caused by anorexia, starvation, cachexia

2. Dystrophic calcification, Inherited in some mice

3. Uric acid crystals in birds + reptiles

Describe Fibrinous Pericarditis in terms of:

1. Definition

2. Common causes of Fibrinous Pericarditis

1. Most common form of Pericarditis, Parietal and visceral surfaces covered in yellow fibrin, adhere but easily pulled apart. If Chronic, forms fibrous adhesions

2. Haematogenous Infection (Pasteurellosis, Glasser's disease, Psittacosis)

Describe the following forms of Pericarditis:

1. Suppurative Pericarditis

2. Contrictive Prericarditis

1. Hardware disease in cattle, Pericardial surface thickened with white masses of fibrous tissue enclosing thick purulent exudate. Animals survive for weeks-months but die from CHF/septicaemia

2. Chronic, Often follows suppurative pericarditis, Extensive fibrous proliferation, fibrous adhesions between visceral and parietal surfaces

Describe the following Degenerative Endocardial Diseases:

1. Endocardial Mineralisation

2. Endocardial Fibrosis

Both can occur together or alone

1. Excess dietary vitamin D, firm white plaques of mineralised tissue in endocardium + intima large arteries

2. Chronically dilated hearts, cattle with Johne's disease, dogs with healed endocarditis lesions

Describe Endocardiosis in terms of:

1. Definition

2. Animals Endocardiosis is most commonly seen in

3. Valves Affected

1. Degeneration of valvular collagen, most common cause of CHF in Dogs

2. Middle-aged to old small breed dogs

3.

Mitral valves: Shortened, thick nodular valves that appear smooth and shiny

Valvular insufficiency: Atrial Dilation, develop "jet lesions" (Rough firm streaks of fibrosis from trauma

Describe Endocarditis (Vegetative Valvular Endocarditis) in terms of:

1. What usually causes Endocarditis

2. What Endocarditis Usually Effects

3. Consequences of Endocarditis

4. Pathogenesis

1. Bacterial Infections, migrating strongylus vulgaris in horses

2. Valves. Large adherent friable yellow/grey masses of fibrin (Vegetations) occlude valve orifice

3. Layers of fibrin & bacterial colonies over the top of inflammatory granulation tissue

4. Virchow's triad of thrombogenesis