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Preliminary evidence supports the notion that COVID-19 patients may have an increased susceptibility to develop venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the magnitude of this association still needs to be defined. Furthermore, clinical predictors of thrombogenesis, and the relationship with the inflammatory status are currently unknown. On this basis, we conducted a retrospective, observational study on 259 consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to an academic tertiary referral hospital in Northern Italy between March 19th and April 6th, 2020. Records of COVID-19 patients with a definite VTE event were reviewed for demographic information, co-morbidities, risk factors for VTE, laboratory tests, and anticoagulation treatment. Twenty-five cases among 259 COVID-19 patients developed VTE (9.6%), all of them having a Padua score > 4, although being under standard anticoagulation prophylaxis since hospital admission. In the VTE subcohort, we found a significant positive correlation between platelet count (PLT) and either C reactive protein (CRP) (p < 0.0001) or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.0013), while a significant inverse correlation was observed between PLT and mean platelet volume (p < 0.0001). Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio significantly correlated with CRP (p < 0.0001). The majority of VTE patients was male and younger compared to non-VTE patients (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005, respectively). No significant difference was found in d-dimer levels between VTE and non VTE patients, while significantly higher levels of LDH (p = 0.04) and IL-6 (p = 0.04) were observed in VTE patients in comparison to non-VTE patients. In conclusion, our findings showed a quite high prevalence of VTE in COVID-19 patients. Raised inflammatory indexes and increased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines should raise the clinical suspicion of VTE.

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A 4-year-old 4.7-kg (10.4-lb) intact female domestic short-haired cat with a history of left forelimb amputation due to periarticular histiocytic sarcoma (HS) was referred to the Oncology Unit at the University of Bologna. Seven months prior to referral, the cat had been evaluated by the referring veterinarian for a 1-month history of a Grade 3 left forelimb lameness. Initially, the cat had been treated with oral meloxicam (Metacam, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany) at 0.05 mg/kg (0.02 mg/lb) q 24 h for 1 week with exercise restriction. Despite initial clinical improvement, lameness recurred, and a mild soft tissue swelling of the left distal radioulnar joint developed within a few weeks. Regrettably, the travel restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic delayed the consultation with an oncologist. The cat was re-evaluated by the referring veterinarian only 5 months after the first presentation. At that time, initial diagnostic tests included a left forelimb radiograph (latero-medial view), three-view thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, and routine blood analysis (complete blood count, serum biochemistry, and clotting profile). Forelimb radiography revealed severe permeative lysis of the carpal bones extending across the joint space to the distal radial and ulnar epiphyses and diaphyses, as well as to the first metacarpal bone. Destruction of both medullary and cortical bone was evidenced at these sites with an ill-defined transition zone, along with moderate adjacent soft tissue swelling.The rest of the diagnostic procedures were unremarkable. Due to suspected neoplastic disease, a core biopsy of the bone lesion was submitted for histopathologic evaluation. Microscopic examination

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

OBJECTIVE To describe the ECG findings in 3 different canine brachycephalic breeds: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Pug, and the English Bulldog (EB). ANIMALS 135 healthy dogs (50 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, 50 Pugs, and 35 EBs). PROCEDURES Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify healthy dogs ≥ 1 year old that had undergone an ECG. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Student t test were used to compare continuous variables between male and female dogs, whereas the χ2 test was used for categorical variables. Spearman correlation coefficients between ECG measurements and age and body weight were also calculated in the case of continuous variables, whereas the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for categorical ones. RESULTS Electrocardiographic parameters of healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels overall fitted with traditional reference intervals cited in textbooks; in contrast, 28% of Pugs and 20% of EBs showed a shift of the QRS-complex mean electrical axis (QRS-MEA). In Pugs and EBs, the mean/median QRS-MEA value was 56° (from 0° to 100°) and 59° (from 20° to 100°), respectively. All axis shifts were left shifts (in Pugs, from 0° to 34°; in EBs, 20° to 39°). Only a few meaningful differences were found when comparing ECG variables between males and females. Similarly, only 1 statistically significant correlation was found between ECG parameters and age and body weight. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Healthy Pugs and EBs present a trend to a left shift of the QRS-MEA. This should be considered when interpreting ECG tracings in these breeds.

Infective endocarditis causing aortopulmonary fistula and intracardiac thrombosis in a dogA 6-year-old 57-kg female Leonberger was referred for acute onset of lethargy, hyperthermia, tachypnea and a new grade III/ VI basal "to-and-fro" murmur. According to haematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, blood and urine cultures, antibiogram, thoracic radiography and echocardiography, a multidrug-resistant enterococcal infection (Enterococcus faecium) complicated by pneumonia and infective endocarditis (IE) was diagnosed. Initially, echocardiographic abnormalities were limited to mild irregular thickening of aortic and mitral valve leaflets, coexistence of moderate aortic stenosis and moderate insufficiency and mild mitral regurgitation (Fig 1A-B). Teicoplanin (Targosid; Sanofi S.p.A) was initiated based on the antibiogram and continued for 6 weeks, resulting in progressive clinical improvement and pneumonia resolution. Subsequently, monthly examinations were performed. At each recheck, echocardiography was repeated showing progressive dilatation of the left-sided cardiac chambers, and worsening of aortic and mitral valve lesions. After 9 months, despite a stable clinical condition, echocardiography demonstrated a new continuous left-to-right shunt at the level of the left coronary aortic valve cusp, entering the main pulmonary artery distal to the pulmonary valve. Moreover, a hyperechoic, echodense, intracavitary mass (2.8 × 5.5 mm) with well-defined margins distinct from the endocardium and protruding from the left auricle into the left atrium was visualised (Fig 1C-F, Video S1).