Multiple cardiac malformations in a calf

This paper describes the morphopathological aspects of a case of multiple cardiac malformations in a calf. A two-day-old male calf of undefined breed was born with an ectopic heart, presenting with dyspnoea and in lateral recumbency. The owner had repositioned the exposed heart beneath the adjacent skin, which was suclosed, without additional incisions or suturing of the heart or pericardial sac. The animal died the following day and was submitted for necropsy. Macroscopically, the heart was observed to be ventrally pendulous, covered by the pericardial sac, external to the thoracic cavity, with a passage between the manubrium of the sternum and the middle scalene muscle (ectopia cordis). The heart was rounded, and three cardiac chambers were observed: the right ventricle, left ventricle and a single dilated atrial cavity located above the left ventricle, with absence of the atrial septum and a rudimentary right ventricle. The atrial cavity was dilated with rudimentary pectinate muscles. A caudal vena cava and pulmonary veins emptied into the single atrial cavity. In the right chamber of the heart, there was marked myocardial thickening with a rudimentary ventricular space, a poorly developed tricuspid valve, absence of a pulmonary trunk, a single-inlet univentricular atrioventricular connection and a single-outlet ventriculoarterial connection. The occurrence of ectopia cordis associated with cardiac malformations is a rare condition incompatible with the life of calves.