Pericardial Disease in Cats

Pericardial Disease in Cats

By: PetPlace Veterinarians

Section: Information In-depth

There are a variety of causes depending on the type of pericardial disease.

  • Peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia is a congenital disorder with no known cause. It is present at birth.

  • Pericardial effusion occurs secondary to pericarditis i.e. inflammation of the pericardium. Fluid accumulation within the pericardium may be caused by peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia, right-sided heart failure, cysts, low blood protein (albumen), or infection. Bleeding within the pericardium can be due to heart tumors, trauma, or blood clotting problems. In some cases, the cause of the pericardial effusion cannot be determined.

  • Pericardial constriction most often develops secondary to chronic inflammation, particularly from infection, recurrent hemorrhage, or as a consequence of diffuse cancer.

    The prognosis for pericardial disease depends on the cause.
    Cats with bleeding into the pericardium from an unknown cause have a fair to good prognosis. Cats with pericardial fluid accumulations caused by infection have a guarded prognosis; and cats with pericardial fluid due to a tumor of the heart have a poor prognosis.

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