Burmese and heart problems

[Sarah]

My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my regular
vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday she
saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an ultrasound
was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from
one side of the chamber to the other.

She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the lungs
clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some theories
of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's auto-immune
in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.

The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).

[rrb_091903]

Sarah said:

> My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my regular
> vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday she
> saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an ultrasound
> was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
> previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
> condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
> HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
> huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
> several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from
> one side of the chamber to the other.
>
> She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
> rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
> is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the lungs
> clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some theories
> of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
> say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's auto-immune
> in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.
>
> The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
> with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
> was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
> closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
> has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).
>
>

You might want to post this in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes as well. There is
a least one Burmese breeder who posts their regularly. Her name is Lois
Reay.

[rrb_091903]

Sarah said:

> My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my regular
> vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday she
> saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an ultrasound
> was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
> previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
> condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
> HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
> huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
> several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from
> one side of the chamber to the other.
>
> She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
> rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
> is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the lungs
> clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some theories
> of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
> say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's auto-immune
> in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.
>
> The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
> with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
> was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
> closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
> has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).
>
>

You might want to post this in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes as well. There is
a least one Burmese breeder who posts their regularly. Her name is Lois
Reay.

[rrb_091903]

Sarah said:

> My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my regular
> vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday she
> saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an ultrasound
> was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
> previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
> condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
> HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
> huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
> several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from
> one side of the chamber to the other.
>
> She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
> rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
> is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the lungs
> clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some theories
> of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
> say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's auto-immune
> in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.
>
> The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
> with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
> was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
> closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
> has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).
>
>

You might want to post this in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes as well. There is
a least one Burmese breeder who posts their regularly. Her name is Lois
Reay.

[Phil P.]

"Sarah" > wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
> My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my
regular
> vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday
she
> saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an
ultrasound
> was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
> previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
> condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
> HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
> huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
> several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings
from
> one side of the chamber to the other.
>
> She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
> rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
> is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the
lungs
> clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some
theories
> of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
> say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's
auto-immune
> in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.
>
> The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
> with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
> was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
> closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
> has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).

Has endocardial fibroelastosis been ruled out? -- EFE is a congenital
defect/familial disease in the Burmese.



"the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from one side of the
chamber to the other."


Sounds a lot like endocardial fibroelastosis -- which is an overgrowth of
elastic and fibrous fibers in the inner lining of the left atrium and
ventricle.



"Her left atrium is huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal."



""Reported findings (in cats) with EFE include dyspnea, systolic murmur of
mitral insuffiÂ*ciency, gallop rhythms, tachycardia, hydrothorax, asciÂ*tes,
ECG changes (especially increased R wave voltage), and severe LA and LV
enlargement on radiography. At necropsy, the heart weight is increased;
there is dilaÂ*tion of the LV and to lesser degree, the LA; and the LV wall
is thin. Characteristically, the LV endocardium is diffusely thickened and
appears gray-white and opaque. Histologic features are striking and reveal
an LV endocardium thickened by dense collagenous and elastic fibers.""



Endocardial fibroelastosis in the Burmese is technically a form of RCM
(restrictive cardiomyopathy)



HTH,

Phil

[Phil P.]

"Sarah" > wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
> My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my
regular
> vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday
she
> saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an
ultrasound
> was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
> previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
> condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
> HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
> huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
> several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings
from
> one side of the chamber to the other.
>
> She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
> rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
> is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the
lungs
> clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some
theories
> of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
> say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's
auto-immune
> in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.
>
> The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
> with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
> was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
> closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
> has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).

Has endocardial fibroelastosis been ruled out? -- EFE is a congenital
defect/familial disease in the Burmese.



"the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from one side of the
chamber to the other."


Sounds a lot like endocardial fibroelastosis -- which is an overgrowth of
elastic and fibrous fibers in the inner lining of the left atrium and
ventricle.



"Her left atrium is huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal."



""Reported findings (in cats) with EFE include dyspnea, systolic murmur of
mitral insuffiÂ*ciency, gallop rhythms, tachycardia, hydrothorax, asciÂ*tes,
ECG changes (especially increased R wave voltage), and severe LA and LV
enlargement on radiography. At necropsy, the heart weight is increased;
there is dilaÂ*tion of the LV and to lesser degree, the LA; and the LV wall
is thin. Characteristically, the LV endocardium is diffusely thickened and
appears gray-white and opaque. Histologic features are striking and reveal
an LV endocardium thickened by dense collagenous and elastic fibers.""



Endocardial fibroelastosis in the Burmese is technically a form of RCM
(restrictive cardiomyopathy)



HTH,

Phil

[Phil P.]

"Sarah" > wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
> My cat Morag, who is a Burmese, was diagnosed with severe HCM by my
regular
> vet about a month ago, after having undergone an ultrasound. Yesterday
she
> saw a cardiologist at the veterinary hospital here, and after an
ultrasound
> was performed using a machine with a higher resolution than the one
> previously used, the cardiologist said that she has a very unusual heart
> condition that doesn't fit into any textbook. She actually only has mild
> HCM, but the problem is that her heart is abnormal. Her left atrium is
> huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal. The wall bulges inward in
> several places and also the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings
from
> one side of the chamber to the other.
>
> She doesn't have HCM, DCM, or RCM. The cardio said that what she has is
> rare, nobody knows what causes it, how to treat it, or what the prognosis
> is. All that can be done is to treat the symptoms, so try to keep the
lungs
> clear and try to prevent her from throwing a clot. There are some
theories
> of how the heart became this way - some say it's due to inflammation, some
> say scar tissue from a previous viral infection, some think it's
auto-immune
> in nature, and some think it's congenital. The jury is still out.
>
> The cardio says that she has seen perhaps a handful of cats in her career
> with a presentation similar to Morag - the most interesting point she made
> was that out of that handful of cats, the cat with the heart that most
> closely resembles Morag's was also a Burmese. So I'm wondering if anyone
> has heard of this before in Burmese cats (or in any cat).

Has endocardial fibroelastosis been ruled out? -- EFE is a congenital
defect/familial disease in the Burmese.



"the ventricle contains crap, stuff that strings from one side of the
chamber to the other."


Sounds a lot like endocardial fibroelastosis -- which is an overgrowth of
elastic and fibrous fibers in the inner lining of the left atrium and
ventricle.



"Her left atrium is huge, and her left ventrical is just abnormal."



""Reported findings (in cats) with EFE include dyspnea, systolic murmur of
mitral insuffiÂ*ciency, gallop rhythms, tachycardia, hydrothorax, asciÂ*tes,
ECG changes (especially increased R wave voltage), and severe LA and LV
enlargement on radiography. At necropsy, the heart weight is increased;
there is dilaÂ*tion of the LV and to lesser degree, the LA; and the LV wall
is thin. Characteristically, the LV endocardium is diffusely thickened and
appears gray-white and opaque. Histologic features are striking and reveal
an LV endocardium thickened by dense collagenous and elastic fibers.""



Endocardial fibroelastosis in the Burmese is technically a form of RCM
(restrictive cardiomyopathy)



HTH,

Phil