ANALYSIS OF PROGNOSTIC INDICATORS FOR DOGS WITH PERICARDIAL-EFFUSION - 46 CASES (1985-1996)

Objective-To determine factors associated with disease-free interval a nd survival time for dogs with pericardial effusion. Design-Retrospect ive study. Animals-46 dogs. Procedure-Signalment, history, results of physical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and thora cic radiography; disease-free interval; and survival lime were obtaine d from medical records or telephone conversations with owners and refe rring veterinarians. Results-Dogs that had ascites at the time of the initial physical examination were significantly less likely, and dogs that had evidence of pulmonary metastases on thoracic radiographs or t hat had echocardiographic evidence of a right atrial mass were signifi cantly more likely, to have died of pericardial effusion or the underl ying cause of effusion than were dogs that did not. Median survival ti me was 15.3 months for dogs with idiopathic pericardial effusion, 16 d ays for dogs with hemangiosarcoma, and 13.6 months for dogs with mesot helioma. Dogs that had a nonspecific extracardiac mass and underwent p ericardiectomy were significantly less likely to have had recurrence o f signs than were dogs that did not. However, dogs with mesothelioma o r hemangiosarcoma that underwent pericardiectomy did not have a signif icantly different risk of recurrence of signs or survival lime, compar ed with dogs that did not. Clinical implications-Results suggest that pericardiectomy will not affect risk of recurrence or survival lime in dogs with pericardial effusion secondary to hemangiosarcoma or mesoth elioma, However, pericardiectomy is still needed to differentiate dogs with neoplastic pericardial effusion from dogs with idiopathic perica rdial effusion.