Vet Assistants’ Course Pathology The CVS

VETERINARY ASSISTANTS’ COURSE

PATHOLOGY

LECTURE C18: PATHOLOGY OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

1. Cardiovascular pathology is the study of diseases that affect the heart and vascular
structures. Diseases of the myocardium, endocardium, pericardium, and vascular
structures as well as congenital cardiovascular anomalies and tumors of the
cardiovascular system will be discussed

AIM

2. The aim of the lesson is to teach students the pathology of the cardiovascular system.

SCOPE

3. The lesson will cover the following:

a) Common Presenting Signs With Heart Disease
b) Congenital Abnormalities Of The Heart
c) Diseases Of The Cardiac Muscle
d) Cardiac Neoplasia
e) Secondary Cardiac Disease
f) Vascular Pathology
g) Conclusion

COMMON PRESENTING SIGNS WITH HEART DISEASE

4. An animal with a disease or condition of the cardiovascular system may present with the
following signs: coughing, dyspnea, exercise intolerance, syncope, abdominal
enlargement (secondary ascites), anorexia, weight loss and lethargy.

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Vet Assistants’ Course Pathology The CVS

CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES OF THE HEART AND LARGE VESSELS

5. Causes of abnormal cardiovascular development includes:

a) Genetic such as Single or multiple gene effects Most species have a low
background frequency of spontaneous cardiac malformations
b) Infections such as Parvovirus infections in cats and dogs, Bluetongue virus in
sheep, BVD in cattle
c) Deficiencies in Vitamin A, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, or zinc and Excesses:
Vitamin A, retinoic acid, or copper
d) In utero exposure to x-irradiation or fetal hypoxia
e) Teratogenic compounds: thalidomide, ethanol, salicylates, griseofulvin, cortisone

DISEASES OF THE CARDIAC MUCLE

6. The cardiac muscle includes the endocardium, myocardium and epicardium. The
pericardial sac envelopes the heart and the following are the disease conditions of the
cardiac muscle and the pericardial sac:
a) Myocardial Conditions: The myocardium constitutes the bulk of tissue in the
heart. In many myocardial diseases, damage must be widespread and severe
before clinical signs are observed. The normal myocardium has a 3 - 5 fold
functional reserve capacity, which will eventually be lost with cardiac disease
and, subsequently, will result in impaired function. The following are
conditions of the myocardium:
i. Hypertrophy and dilatation: Hypertrophy of the myocardium is
a normal physiological response. It may also be due to disease
or physiological response to exercise in working animals.
Pathological hypertrophy - often one chamber initially but
progresses to involve whole heart leading to systemic
hypertension.
ii. Myocardial infarction: uncommon in the domestic species.
When it occur it is the result of emboli (sterile, septic, or
neoplastic) entering the coronary vessels.

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Vet Assistants’ Course Pathology The CVS

iii. Myocarditis: The term describes inflammatory conditions of

the myocardium and usually follows a generalized infection by
bacterial or viral agents.
b) Endocardial Conditions: Because of the close constant contact with the blood-
stream, the endocardium may be subject to hemodynamic trauma and blood-
borne infection leading to:
i. Endocarditis: Endocarditis is inflammation of the endocardium.
Chronic bacteremia e.g. infected wounds (foot puncture),
umbilical infection, mastitis and metritis leads to
hematogeneous spread to the heart leading to endocarditis.
ii. Degenerative valve disease characterized in general by
degenerative change in the valves matrix with low-grade
chronic inflammation.
c) Diseases Of The Pericardium: The pericardium is frequently involved
secondarily by direct extension from diseases of the myocardium, pleura,
lungs, or systemic disease processes. The following are disease conditions of
the pericardium:
i. Hydro-pericardium: excessive accumulation of serous fluid in
the pericardial space. Causes includes hypoproteinemia
(generalized edema), congestive heart failure,(usually right
heart failure) e.g. "Ascites syndrome" – poultry, tumors - both
primary and secondary and systemic diseases.
ii. Hemo-pericardium: accumulation of blood in pericardial space.
Causes include aortic rupture within pericardial sac (horse,
turkey), atrial rupture (dog), rupture of the pulmonary artery,
iatrogenic from intracardiac injections and bleeding from a
tumor within pericardial sac.
iii. Pericarditis: inflammation of the pericardial sac and is usually
as a result of hematogenous spread of infective agents or
traumatic reticulo-peritonitis (TRP) in bovine animals.

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Vet Assistants’ Course Pathology The CVS

CARDIAC NEOPLASIA

7. True primary neoplasms of cardiac tissue are rare. They often do not cause clinical signs
until large and unless they affect cardiac function by virtue of strategic siting. Metastases
from malignant tumors elsewhere; and usually seen in dogs and cats mainly such as
mammary and thyroid adenocarcinoma and haemangiosarcomas).

SECONDARY CARDIAC DISEASE

8. The heart becomes diseased as a result of abnormality in other organs. The heart may
become embarrassed as a result of increased peripheral vascular resistance. The example
usually cited in this instance is that of interstitial nephritis in dogs resulting in left
ventricular hypertrophy

VASCULAR PATHOLOGY

9. The vessels of the cardiovascular system includes the arteries, capillaries and veins and
the following disease and conditions affect these vessels:
a) Diseases Of Arteries: the following are diseases of the arteries:
i. Arterial hypertrophy: Is seen as increase in the elastic components of
the media and intima layers, and is the response to raised arterial blood
pressure in the vessels concerned.
ii. Arteriosclerosis: This term encompasses a group of vascular diseases
of unknown etiology which are characterized by fibrous thickening
with degeneration of the arterial walls.
iii. Arteritis: The term arteritis implies inflammation in arterial walls as a
result of infective conditions.
b) Diseases Of Veins are as follows:
i. Thrombosis: thrombosis is local coagulation or clotting od the blood in
any part of the circulation. Jugulars, vena cavae and portal veins are
most commonly affected sites.
ii. Phlebitis is the inflammation of veins frequently accompanies and
precedes thrombosis.

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Vet Assistants’ Course Pathology The CVS

iii. Thrombo-phlebitis may follow inept vein puncture where sterility is

poor or irritant solutions are injected.

CONCLUSION

10. Heart diseases may result in effects on other body organ systems. Malfunction of
individual sides of the heart results in different pathophysiological effects. Left heart
malfunction tends to result in effects on the pulmonary circulation and lungs while the
right heart malfunction results in peripheral venous upset.
11. Pathology of the cardiovascular system leads to end organ dysfunction called congestive
heart failure (CHF).