CT case report details bronchopericardial fistulas in a dog

A newly published case report in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound describes what appears to be the first reported computed tomography findings of bronchopericardial fistulas in a dog. The patient, a 7-year-old Afghan Hound with fever, lethargy, and cough, was found on thoracic CT to have multiple fistulas, up to 6.0 mm in diameter, connecting a secondary bronchus in the left cranial lung lobe to the pericardial space. The dog was treated with left cranial and partial left caudal lung lobectomies plus subtotal pericardiectomy, with resolution of clinical signs and no pericardial effusion on 2-week follow-up ultrasound. (lifescience.net)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this case adds a new CT-described differential in dogs presenting with fever, cough, lethargy, pneumopericardium, or septic pericardial disease that doesn't fit more common patterns. Prior veterinary reports have described other bronchial fistulas, including bronchocutaneous and bronchopleural fistulas, and older canine literature has already suggested CT can be especially useful for identifying abnormal bronchial communications that may be missed or incompletely characterized on standard imaging. This report extends that imaging literature into the pericardial space and reinforces the value of advanced thoracic imaging when radiographs or ultrasound don't fully explain cardiothoracic findings. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether future case reports clarify the most common causes, imaging hallmarks, and surgical outcomes of bronchopericardial fistulas in dogs. (lifescience.net)