Clinical Communication — Kliniese mededeling Anaerobic bacterial pericardial effusion in a cat

INTRODUCTION In general, pericardial diseases in small animal practice are rare, with pericardial effusion being the most commonly encountered pericardial disease. Septic pericarditis, although well recognised in cattle and humans, has rarely been reported in either the dog or cat. Septic pericarditis can result from pleural or pulmonary infections, secondary to trauma, or from haematogenous spread. Clinical signs associated with pericarditis include weight loss, pyrexia, weakness, dyspnoea, ascites, and if extensive, cardiac tamponade. In cats an antemortem diagnosis of pericardial disease is rarely obtained. In a retrospective study, 66 cats out of 2852 (2.3 %) autopsied had pericardial disease, with pericardial effusion present in 58 and pericarditis without significant effusion in 8. The most common cause of pericardial effusion in the cat is feline infectious peritonitis, with other causes being neoplasia, cardiomyopathy, infections (bacterial, fungal), coagulopathies, hyperthyroidism, and left atrial tears. This report describes a case of bacterial pericarditis in a cat caused by the anaerobic bacterium Peptostreptococcus.