A 3-yr-old intact female snow leopard (Uncia uncia) was evaluated for progressive apathy, lethargy, and decreased appetite. Cardiac auscultation revealed a left basal grade IV/VI systolic ejection murmur, and an echocardiogram confirmed a severe pulmonic valvular stenosis (pressure gradient of 98 mm Hg). The lesion was managed by balloon valvuloplasty, resulting in a marked pressure gradient reduction (30 mm Hg). The cat recovered well, and clinical signs resolved. This is the first description of a pulmonary valve stenosis and management with balloon valvuloplasty in a wild felid.
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1 December 2010
Successful Treatment of a Congenital Pulmonic Valvular Stenosis in a Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) by Percutaneous Balloon Valvuloplasty
Norin Chai,
Luc Behr,
Valérie Chetboul,
Jean Louis Pouchelon,
Rudy Wedlarski,
Emilie Tréhiou-Sechi,
Vassiliki Gouni,
Charlotte Misbach,
Amandine M. P. Petit,
Aude Bourgeois,
Thierry Hazan,
Nicolas Borenstein
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balloon valvuloplasty
cardiac disease
cardiac imaging
congenital pulmonic stenosis
Uncia uncia
