Gerbode defect associated with blunt trauma in a dog

Echocardiographic features of indirect Gerbode defect in a cat

“…asymptomatic for one month after the accident, unlike the previous two dogs that showed clinical signs within a few days of the trauma [4,5]. Another possible cause of a Gerbode defect, endocarditis, was not suspected in this cat because there was no vegetative valve change detected on echocardiography and no fever, although blood culture was not performed.…”

“…In two dogs, Gerbode defects have been reported secondary to infective endocarditis and, in another two dogs, secondary to trauma [4][5][6][7]. All occurrences were classified as type 1 and direct.…”

Gerbode defect in a dog

“…It was first reported in the veterinary literature as a necropsy finding by Ramirez et al (2003). Two of the four reports on Gerbode defects that have been so far described in canine patients were secondary to bacterial endocarditis (Ramirez et al 2003;Peddle et al 2008), and the other two cases were found secondary to thoracic trauma (in one case associated with atrial septal defect, probably also traumatic) Hezzell et al 2011;Cunningham et al 2013). No traumatic incident or any cardiac infection was described in the history, suspected in the clinical exam nor confirmed with other diagnostic tests in our patient.…”

“…To our knowledge, to this day only four reports of this defect have been published: two of them were secondary to valvular endocarditis (Great Pyrenees Dog and Golden Retriever) (Ramirez et al 2003;Peddle et al 2008) and the other two (Newfoundland and Labrador Retriever) were seen after thoracic trauma, interestingly, always associated with an atrial septal defect (Hezzell et al 2011;Cunningham et al 2013). We describe a possible congenital Gerbode defect in an older dog unrelated to endocarditis, surgery or trauma.…”

“…Human cases of Gerbode defect can be recognised congenitally or secondary to cardiac surgery (e.g. valvular transplantation), septic endocarditis, thoracic trauma and myocardial infarction (Ramirez et al 2003;Peddle et al 2008;Hezzell et Supported by the institutional funds of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno.…”