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Cardiomyopathy in captive owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae)
Mark Rishniw1, Ann M Schiavetta, Todd O Johnson
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Comparative Medicine
|May 12, 2005
Summary
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is prevalent in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae). Echocardiography identified systolic myocardial failure, with specific measurements reliably distinguishing diseased from healthy animals.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Cardiology
- Primate Medicine
- Cardiovascular Pathology
Background:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was histopathologically identified in a colony of owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae) over 15 years.
- A high prevalence of cardiac disease was noted, precluding the establishment of normal reference intervals for this species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the incidence and echocardiographic features of cardiac disease in a colony of owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae).
- To identify echocardiographic indices that reliably differentiate between normal and diseased animals.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic evaluation of 77 owl monkeys over a 14-month period.
- Postmortem examination to confirm antemortem diagnoses.
- Analysis of cardiac troponin I concentrations.
Main Results:
- Twenty-one monkeys exhibited systolic myocardial failure; eight were confirmed with DCM postmortem.
- Progression of cardiac disease was observed in animals with initially questionable diagnoses.
- Left ventricular end-systolic cross-sectional area and fractional area change were key diagnostic indicators.
- Serum cardiac troponin I levels were below detection limits in all evaluated monkeys.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation of cardiomyopathy in owl monkeys.
- Specific echocardiographic parameters can reliably diagnose DCM in Aotus nancymae.
- The high disease prevalence impacts the ability to establish species-specific reference intervals.