Pulmonary embolism and cor pulmonale in a cat

A 14-year-old snare neutered cat experienced pulmonary embolism 15 days fol lowing surgical debridement of a recurrent dorsolumbar abscess. Clinical si gns were dominated by respiratory distress, Pulmonary embolism was suggeste d from the lateral thoracic radiograph by the presence of an abruptly atten uated lobar artery and a contiguous oligaemic area in the caudal lung robe. Pulmonary hypertension was demonstrated on Doppler echocardiography by rig ht pulmonary artery dilation and tricuspid regurgitation raising the pulmon ary arterial pressure to 56 mmHg, Chronic pulmonary hypertension, assumed f rom right ventricular wall hypertrophy, and hypokinesia, indicating chronic cor pulmonale, was suggestive of chronic rather than acute pulmonary embol ism. Postmortem histological evidence of pulmonary arteriolar occlusion con firmed the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.