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Vet Pathol 42:1-8 (2005)
© 2005 American College of Veterinary Pathologists
Review Article

Histologic Characterization of Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy

A. Tidholm and L. Jönsson

Albano Animal Hospital of Stockholm, Rinkbyvägen 23, Danderyd, Sweden (AT); and Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (LJ)

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), characterized by chamber dilatation and myocardial systolic and diastolic dysfunction, is one of the most common heart diseases in dogs. The clinical diagnosis is based on findings on echocardiographic and Doppler examinations, with the active exclusion of other acquired or congenital heart diseases. However, the echocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of DCM are not wholly specific for the disease, and histologic examination may be necessary for final diagnosis. Review of reports on histologic findings in dogs with clinically diagnosed DCM reveals two histologically distinct forms of DCM: 1) cardiomyopathy of Boxers and Doberman Pinschers, corresponding to the "fatty infiltration–degenerative" type and 2) the form seen in many giant, large-, and medium-sized breeds, including some Boxers and Doberman Pinschers, classified as the "attenuated wavy fiber" type of DCM. The histologic changes of the attenuated wavy fiber type of DCM may precede clinical and echocardiographic signs of heart disease, thus indicating an early stage of DCM.

Key words: dilated; cardiomyopathy; canine; histology.

Request reprints from Dr. A. Tidholm, Albano Animal Hospital of Stockholm, Rinkbyvägen 23, S-182 36 Danderyd (Sweden). E-mail: anna_tidholm{at}hotmail.com






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