Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in a cat

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders of the myocardium, characterized by multiple clinical manifestations with different prognoses. In cats, heart disease is frequent and is considered one of the most common causes of death. ARVC is rare in pets and has a lot of similarities to human ARVC. Signs of the disease include moderate/severe dilation of the right ventricle, regional or diffuse thinning of the wall, and sometimes aneurysm. The histological examination shows the presence of adipose or fibrous tissue that replaces myocardium, focal myocarditis, and cell apoptosis, more frequent in the right ventricular wall. Clinical signs are related to right-sided heart failure; dyspnea caused by pleural effusion, ascites, turgor of the jugular veins, episodes of syncope. The outcome of the disease is not favorable, especially when the symptoms of heart failure become evident.