Acute heart insufficiency due to aortic rupture

This report documents the case of an acute heart insufficiency due to rupture of an aortic valve in an 18 year old warmblood gelding. The horse was referred with the history of sudden poor performance, disturbed condition and a cardiac murmur. During clinical and echocardiographical examination an acute heart insufficiency with involvement of the lung and low to high grade insufficiency of all four heart valves were diagnosed. As induction of acute heart insufficiency, a rupture of left coronary aortic valve was detected. The horse was euthanized on account of the progression and infaust prognosis. The pathomorphology and -histology examination showed a chronic endocarditis as cause of the valve rupture. The etiology and pathogenesis of the acute aortic regurgitation and the acute heart insufficiency will be exemplified and discussed.