A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 100 CASES OF FELINE DISTAL AORTIC THROMBOEMBOLISM - 1977-1993

The medical records of 100 cats with distal aortic thromboembolism wer e reviewed. The average age was 7.7 years, with the neutered male bein g the most common signalment (63%). Evidence of preexisting cardiac di sease was noted in 11% of the cases, A murmur or arrhythmia was noted in 57% of the cases on presentation, Frequent laboratory abnormalities included elevations in blood glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspar tate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Radiograph ic and electrocardiographic abnormalities were common (89% and 85%, re spectively). The most frequent, underlying disease was hypertrophic fe line cardiomyopathy (58%), with the left atrial size (as measured by M -mode) significantly increased in the majority of cases (mean left atr ial-to-aortic ratio, 2.08). The average, long-term survival in the 37% of cases which survived the initial thromboembolic episode was 11.5 m onths. The remaining cases either died (28%) or were euthanized (35%).