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William P Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to William P Thomas.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Pericarditis and pleuritis caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in a horse.

A 13-year-old Oldenburg mare was evaluated for lethargy and signs of mild colic. Pericardial tamponade caused by fibrinoeffusive pericarditis was diagnosed. Cytologic and biochemical evaluation of pericardial fluid was consistent with a septic effusion. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the cause of pigeon fever, was identified by bacteriologic culture of pericardial fluid. Drainage and lavage of the pericardial sac, local (intrapericardial) and systemic antimicrobial treatment, and subsequent corticosteroid treatment resulted in a successful outcome in this horse. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of pericarditis associated with C pseudotuberculosis in a horse.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dynamic right ventricular outflow obstruction: a new cause of systolic murmurs in cats.

We have identified and characterized a new cause of variable parasternal systolic murmurs in cats. Color Doppler echocardiography of 51 cats presented for evaluation of a cardiac murmur demonstrated a localized, turbulent systolic jet located within the right ventricular (RV) outflow region, originating just cranial to the tricuspid valve. Spectral Doppler tracings of the turbulent jets showed abnormally high peak velocity, late systolic flow acceleration, and marked variability with heart rate, typical of dynamic stenosis. Frame-by-frame examination of 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic images after color Doppler subtraction revealed systolic apposition of the RV free wall with the interventricular septum at the origin of the turbulent jets. Therefore, we termed this turbulent flow pattern "dynamic right ventricular obstruction" (DRVO). Most cats with DRVO were >4 years old (45 of 51, 88%) and initially presented with concurrent noncardiac disease (73%). Noncardiac diseases associated with DRVO in older cats included high cardiac output states (hyperthyroidism, anemia, and inflammatory disease) and chronic renal failure with and without systemic hypertension. Of the 45 cats >4 years old, 4 (9%) had no evidence of any other cardiac or noncardiac disease. In contrast, 5 of 6 cats (83%) <4 years old had concurrent cardiac disease. No breed predisposition was identified. Follow-up examination of 10 cats demonstrated no change in the disorder in 8 cats but revealed the disappearance of the murmur and abnormal RV Doppler flow signal in 2 cats after renal transplantation. We propose that DRVO is a physiologic cause of systolic murmurs in cats attributable to RV systolic narrowing.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A prospective study of canine infective endocarditis in northern California (1999-2001): emergence of Bartonella as a prevalent etiologic agent.

A prospective study was performed (June 1999 to May 2001) to determine the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) due to Bartonella in dogs in northern California and to compare these patients with other dogs with IE. IE was diagnosed antemortem based on clinical signs and echocardiography in 18 dogs. The etiologic agent was Bartonella sp. in 5 dogs (28%) and was diagnosed by high seroreactivity to Bartonella (titer > 1:512; range, 1:1,024-1:4,096); and confirmed postmortem by positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) from the infected valve and partial DNA sequencing of the citrate synthase gene (glt A). Conventional bacteria were causative agents in 7 dogs (39%). An etiologic agent was not identified in 6 dogs (33%). Bartonella vinsonii berkhoffii (n = 3), B clarridgeiae (n = 1), and a B clarridgeiae-like organism (n = 1) were identified. Blood culture was positive only for the IE case due to B clarridgeiae. All dogs with IE due to Bartonella were also seroreactive to Anaplasma phagocytophilum. All dogs with IE due to Bartonella had lesions only on the aortic valve. Of the cases of IE not due to Bartonella, 31% involved the aortic valve, 61% the mitral valve, and 8% both valves. Dogs with mitral valve IE lived longer than all dogs with aortic valve IE (P = .004) and dogs with IE of the aortic valve due to Bartonella (P = .002). In conclusion, Bartonella is a common cause of IE in dogs of northern California. A high Bartonella serologic titer (> 1:512) is useful antemortem to diagnose aortic valve IE due to Bartonella.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Applications, complications, and outcomes of transvenous pacemaker implantation in 105 dogs (1997-2002).

We reviewed the indications for age and breeds of dogs who received transvenous endocardial artificial pacemaker (AP) implantation (n = 105) and complications and survival thereafter at a single institution over a 6-year period. A third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block (59%) and sick sinus syndrome (SSS; 27%) were the most common indications, along with a high-grade second-degree AV block (9%) and atrial standstill (5%). The most common breeds identified were Labrador Retriever (n = 16; 11 with a third-degree AV block), American Cocker Spaniel (n = 14; 10 with SSS), and Miniature Schnauzer (n = 13; all with SSS). Common presenting complaints were syncope (n = 66) and exercise intolerance or lethargy (n = 25). Half of the dogs (n = 52) had a history of acute onset of clinical signs (<2 weeks). Mean survival time for the 60 dogs who died during the study period was 2.2 years (range, 0.1-5.8 years). Major complications occurred in 13% of dogs and included lead displacement (n = 7), sensing problems that led to syncope (n = 3), infection at the pacemaker site (n = 1), bleeding (n = 1), and ventricular fibrillation during implantation (n = 1; successfully defibrillated). Minor complications occurred in 11 dogs (11%). The success rate of transvenous AP implantation was comparatively high (all dogs survived the first 48 hours), and the complication rate was comparatively low when compared with a previous multicenter study, most likely because of how commonly the procedure was performed and supervisory experience.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiographic predictors of disease severity in dogs with congenital subaortic stenosis.

Echocardiographic studies from 50 dogs with congenital subaortic stenosis were examined. The degree of concentric, left-ventricular hypertrophy as assessed by M-mode measurement demonstrated a positive relationship (P<0.05) to disease severity. However, the clinical utility of these measures is hindered by a large amount of individual variation (r2=0.243 to 0.473). Two-dimensional ultrasound was used to compare the cross-sectional area of the left-ventricular outflow tract to the cross-sectional area of the aortic root. The ratio of these two areas demonstrated a strong inverse relationship (P=0.001; r2=0.778) with disease severity. This ratio provides a method of estimating severity of disease by two-dimensional echocardiography.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Echocardiographic diagnosis of congenital membranous ventricular septal aneurysm in the dog and cat.

Membranous ventricular septal aneurysm was diagnosed by echocardiography in 17 dogs and three cats. The aneurysm appeared as a thin membrane protruding into the right ventricle from the margins of a congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD). The aneurysm was intact in nine dogs and two cats and perforated by a small VSD in eight dogs and one cat. Other congenital heart defects were present in seven dogs. In all animals, the aneurysm was an incidental finding observed during echocardiographic examination, and it did not appear to directly cause any cardiac dysfunction.

Aneurysm↗