Thromboelastographic assessment of coagulation profiles in dogs with cardiac tumors and their relationship to cardiac function

Abstract

Cardiac tumors are rare and linked to high mortality rates in both human and veterinary medicine. Despite their clinical significance, the effects of these tumors on coagulation and cardiac function remain poorly understood. This retrospective study assessed coagulation profiles and echocardiographic parameters in 14 dogs with cardiac tumors compared to 10 healthy controls. Tumors were identified through echocardiography, with further confirmation by computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Coagulation was evaluated using conventional tests (prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)) and thromboelastography (TEG). The employed conventional coagulation tests and echocardiographic parameters showed no significant differences between the groups. However, TEG revealed a hypercoagulable state in the majority of tumor-bearing dogs (8 out of 14), characterized by shortened reaction and clot formation times, as well as an increased alpha-angle and coagulation index (p < 0.05-0.001). No significant correlations were found between TEG parameters and echocardiographic indices. This study is the first to demonstrate subclinical hemostatic alterations using TEG in dogs with cardiac neoplasia. The results support the utility of TEG as a more sensitive tool than conventional tests for detecting hypercoagulability, potentially guiding individualized anticoagulant strategies in affected dogs.