Ultrasound, Histomorphologic, and Immunohistochemical Analysis of a Cardiac Tumor with Increased Purkinje Cells Detected in a Canine Fetus 42 Days into Pregnancy

Abstract

A seven-year-old healthy female Chow Chow was referred for pregnancy monitoring. Ultrasonography was used to evaluate all pregnancy and fetus parameters, and they were found to be normal. During the examination of the 42 day pregnant bitch, an unusual mass was seen in a fetus’s heart. This fetus had a cardiac frequency of 273–300 beats, while the others had heart rates of 220–240 beats. Natural vaginal birth occurred at 63 days pregnant: the first two puppies were stillborn but perfectly formed, and the other three were alive and had optimal APGAR. In one of two deceased puppies, an unusual, reddish, smooth mass occupying the space in the heart was found through necroscopy. The organ was submitted for histological examination. Histopathology, immunohistochemical, and histochemical analyses all indicated a cardiac tumor with increased Purkinje cells. This type of tumor has been described in infants, swine, bearded seals, and deer but never in fetuses and neonates of dogs. To our knowledge, this is the first such case reported in veterinary medicine.