[Myocardial fibrosis and degeneration with heart failure (cardiomyopathy) in two goats].

Myocardial fibrosis and degeneration of unknown etiology is described in two adult, female goats of the Saanen and Pfauen breeds. Both animals presented with clinical signs of cardiac failure with subcutaneous edema, hydrothorax and ascites. The pathological lesions were characterized by cardiomegaly with ventricular and auricular dilatation and hypertrophy, massive subcutaneous edema and body cavity edema. The first goat additionally showed chronic liver congestion due to cardiac failure. Histologically, the most prominent changes were focally extensive cardiomyocyte degeneration and cardiac fibrosis. The clinical history and pathologic lesions are comparable to those of dilatative cardiomyopathy in SixRH cattle.