Persistent left cranial vena cava in a dog

A 10-year-old golden retriever was presented for the evaluation of exercise intolerance. Physical examination and laboratory tests showed no abnormalities except for mild anaemia. Standard transthoracic echocardiography revealed dilated coronary sinus, raising suspicion of a persistent left cranial vena cava, and the persistency of this anomaly was confirmed by agitated-saline study. Right ventricular echocardiographic parameters did not change significantly, while conventional parameters and global longitudinal strain analysis revealed left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Moreover, post-systolic shortening and early systolic lengthening were detected by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. This report shows that post-systolic shortening and early systolic lengthening may be useful diagnostic markers indicating regional left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether persistent left cranial vena cava contributes to left ventricular systolic dysfunction or is an accidental benign finding in dogs.