Chronic Hypertension with Subsequent Congestive Heart Failure in a Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Chronic severe subclinical systemic hypertension was diagnosed in a 28-yr-old male western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Thoracic radiography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography revealed an enlarged heart with a hypertrophied left ventricle, mitral regurgitation, and a persistent...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine 1999-06, Vol.30 (2), p.262-267
Main Authors: Miller, Christine L., Schwartz, Alan M., Barnhart, Jay S., Bell, Michael D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Zoo
Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use
Antihypertensives
Ape Diseases - diagnosis
Ape Diseases - drug therapy
Ape Diseases - etiology
Blood pressure
Blood Pressure Determination - veterinary
Bundle branch block
Cardiomyopathies
Case Reports
Chronic Disease
Congestive heart failure
Dosage
Drug Therapy, Combination
Echocardiography - veterinary
Electrocardiography - veterinary
Enalapril - therapeutic use
Euthanasia - veterinary
Fatal Outcome
Gorilla gorilla
Heart
Heart Failure - diagnosis
Heart Failure - etiology
Heart Failure - veterinary
Hypertension
Hypertension - complications
Hypertension - drug therapy
Hypertension - veterinary
Lowlands
Male
Myocardium - pathology
Nifedipine - therapeutic use
Radiography, Thoracic - veterinary
Vasodilator Agents - therapeutic use
Zoos
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Chronic severe subclinical systemic hypertension was diagnosed in a 28-yr-old male western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Thoracic radiography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography revealed an enlarged heart with a hypertrophied left ventricle, mitral regurgitation, and a persistent left bundle branch block. Enalapril, later combined with nifedipine, was of some value in reducing the hypertension, with partial reversal of cardiac enlargement and resolution of the bundle branch block. Two years after initiation of treatment, the gorilla developed lethargy and dyspnea. The diagnosis of heart failure was confirmed under anesthesia; the gorilla did not recover and was euthanized. Postmortem examination confirmed congestive heart failure with chronic, fibrosing cardiomyopathy similar to that in other gorillas.
ISSN:1042-7260
1937-2825