Topic:Myocarditis
Myocarditis in horses refers to the inflammation of the heart muscle, which can affect the heart's function and overall health of the animal. This condition can arise from various causes, including viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, as well as immune-mediated processes or exposure to toxins. Myocarditis may present with a range of clinical signs, from mild symptoms such as lethargy and decreased performance to more severe manifestations like arrhythmias or heart failure. Diagnosis often involves a combination of clinical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and laboratory tests. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of myocarditis in equine patients.
Clostridium piliforme infection (Tyzzer disease) in horses: retrospective study of 25 cases and literature review. Tyzzer disease (TD) is caused by Clostridium piliforme, a gram-negative and obligate intracellular bacterium. The disease occurs in multiple species. A triad of lesions, namely colitis, hepatitis, and myocarditis, is described in cases of TD in some species, such as rats and mice. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 25 equine cases with a diagnosis of TD; 24 of 25 cases occurred in foals <45 d old; the remaining foal was 90 d old. There were 12 males and 12 females; no sex information was available for one foal. The affected breeds were Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Arabian, Paint, and...
Myocarditis following envenoming with Vipera palaestinae in two horses. Cardiac disease developed several days to weeks after resolution of local inflammation caused by envenoming by Vipera palaestinae in two horses. In one horse (case A), referred to the hospital for recurrent abdominal pain 8 days after envenoming, a tachyarrhythmia was detected; ventricular premature depolarizations were diagnosed by ECG. A second horse (case B) was found dead without premonitory signs 60 days after envenoming. In both horses, there was extensive necrosis of cardiac ventricular tissues.