Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Sterile Pericarditis in Aachener Minipigs As a Model for Atrial Myopathy and Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: September 24, 2021
Vegetative endocarditis in equids (1994--2006)
S R Porter1, C Saegerman, G van Galen
1Equine Teaching Hospital, Department of Companion Animals and Equids Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Background:
Endocarditis is a rare heart condition with variable clinical expressions in equids. Risk factors for this disease are incompletely understood.
Objective:
Describe risk factors for endocarditis in equids.
Animals:
One hundred and fifty-three equids admitted to Liège University, 9 diagnosed with endocarditis and 144 free from endocarditis but admitted to the hospital with a differential diagnosis including this disease.
Methods:
Retrospective case-control study.
Results:
Equids with endocarditis were significantly younger (mean age = 4.84 +/- 5.74 years) than control equids (mean age = 10.8 +/- 7.73 years) (P = .01). No sex or breed predisposition was observed. Animals with hyperthermia (odds ratio [OR] = 24.4; confidence interval [CI] = 1.40-428), synovial distension (OR = 13.4; CI = 3.00-59.8), lameness (OR = 6.52; CI = 1.63-26.1), hyperglobulinemia (OR = 26.4; CI = 3.03-229), hypoalbuminemia (OR = 11.4; CI = 1.34-96.8), hyperfibrinogenemia (OR = 9.81; CI = 1.16-82.7), or leukocytosis (OR = 7.12; CI = 1.40-36.4) presented a significantly higher risk of having endocarditis than control horses. The presence of two of the clinical signs mentioned above significantly increased the probability of a diagnosis of endocarditis (P< or = .05).
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
Age is associated with equine endocarditis. The diagnostic value of certain clinical signs and abnormalities in blood parameters in this disease are described.
Related Concept Videos
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis
Endocarditis I: Introduction
Endocarditis III: Medical Management
Endocarditis IV: Nursing Management
Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Myocarditis III: Medical Management

