What Is Pericardial Diaphragmatic Hernia?
Introduction Peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia is the most common congenital defect of the diaphragm and pericardium in which there is a failure in the formation or fusion of the septum transversum during embryologic development. This abnormality allows for the passage of abdominal contents into the pericardial sac through the hernia. Clinical signs seen with this condition are attributed to the organs that are herniated into the pericardial sac and may include exercise intolerance, dyspnea, tachypnea, vomiting, coughing, and anorexia, with tachypnea and dyspnea being the most common. However in some patients, clinical signs may not be observed or may be severe enough to cause sudden death due to compromise of the cardiac, gastrointestinal,
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This abnormality is considered one of the most common congenital cardiac, pericardial, and diaphragmatic defects in cats 2 years of age or older. 5,7,8 The prevalence of this condition in cats ranges from 0.06% to 1.45%.3 The most common breeds implicated with this abnormality were domestic longhair cats, Persians, Himalayans, and Maine Coons.1,3,8 No statistically significant sex predisposition or median age at time of diagnosis was identified.1 The most common clinical signs reported were weight loss, febrile episodes, abdominal pain, ascites, shock, collapse, exercise intolerance, dyspnea, wheezing, tachypnea, vomiting, polyphagia, diarrhea, lethargy, coughing, and anorexia.1,4,8 In patients with hepatic incarceration, hepatic encephalopathy may manifest as head pressing, blindness, and convulsions.4 The animals whose PPDH was discovered incidentally were evaluated for other disease processes such as vehicular trauma, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, seizures, renal insufficiency, orthopedic disease, upper respiratory tract infection, neurologic disease, pericardial cyst/effusion, bronchitis, unclassified cardiomyopathy, polycystic kidney disease, pancytopenia, urinary tract obstruction, hyperthyroidism, chylothorax, and mastocytosis.1,8 During these evaluations, radiographs or other imaging modalities were performed which revealed the
This abnormality is considered one of the most common congenital cardiac, pericardial, and diaphragmatic defects in cats 2 years of age or older. 5,7,8 The prevalence of this condition in cats ranges from 0.06% to 1.45%.3 The most common breeds implicated with this abnormality were domestic longhair cats, Persians, Himalayans, and Maine Coons.1,3,8 No statistically significant sex predisposition or median age at time of diagnosis was identified.1 The most common clinical signs reported were weight loss, febrile episodes, abdominal pain, ascites, shock, collapse, exercise intolerance, dyspnea, wheezing, tachypnea, vomiting, polyphagia, diarrhea, lethargy, coughing, and anorexia.1,4,8 In patients with hepatic incarceration, hepatic encephalopathy may manifest as head pressing, blindness, and convulsions.4 The animals whose PPDH was discovered incidentally were evaluated for other disease processes such as vehicular trauma, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, seizures, renal insufficiency, orthopedic disease, upper respiratory tract infection, neurologic disease, pericardial cyst/effusion, bronchitis, unclassified cardiomyopathy, polycystic kidney disease, pancytopenia, urinary tract obstruction, hyperthyroidism, chylothorax, and mastocytosis.1,8 During these evaluations, radiographs or other imaging modalities were performed which revealed the