Obstructive cholelithiasis and gall bladder rupture in a dog

The literature on canine cholelithiasis is briefly reviewed. Details of a case of gall bladder rupture secondary to cholelithiasis in a six-year-old, neutered female, German shepherd dog are presented. The cholelith was found to be of amorphous composition and consisted of bilirubin and bile salts, with small amounts of calcium, phosphorus and cholesterol. These findings are compared with previous reports of canine choleliths.     

Presumptive migrating gall bladder mucocoele in two dogs with gall bladder rupture

A 10‐year‐old neutered female soft‐coated wheaten terrier and a 10‐year‐old, entire female Pomeranian were presented for vomiting and anorexia. Using ultrasound, an oval structure with a stellate, kiwifruit‐like appearance typical of a gall bladder mucocoele was observed in the caudal abdomen of the soft‐coated wheaten terrier and adjacent to the liver in the Pomeranian. There was also a moderate volume of abdominal effusion in both dogs. Cytology of the peritoneal fluid indicated a sterile exudative process but varied between the two dogs, with an absence of bile pigment in the soft‐coated wheaten terrier and marked bile peritonitis in the Pomeranian. An entire free‐floating ectopic mucocoele was confirmed via exploratory laparotomy with concomitant gall bladder rupture and common bile duct obstruction. Both dogs recovered completely after surgery. This is the first report of cases of gall bladder rupture with entire free‐floating gall bladder mucocoeles in dogs.     

Right atrial chromaffin paraganglioma in a dog

Cardiac neoplasia is relatively uncommon in canine patients, with the most common neoplasms including right atrial hemangiosarcoma and paragangliomas occurring at the heart base (i.e. chemodectomas or aortic body tumors). Intracardiac paragangliomas are rare neoplasms in humans and have seldom been documented in the veterinary literature. This report describes the clinical course and histopathological findings in an adult canine patient with an intracardiac chromaffin paraganglioma (non-adrenal pheochromocytoma) of the right atrium.     

Duplex gall bladder associated with choledocholithiasis, cholecystitis, gall bladder rupture and septic peritonitis in a cat

A 10-year-old cat was presented with a history of inappetence, pyrexia and weight loss. Clinical investigations showed anaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, septic peritonitis and a double gall bladder with choleliths in an extrahepatic duct. Initial medical stabilisation was performed. At laparotomy, a duplex gall bladder with two separate cystic ducts was identified. The left gall bladder was thickened and had ruptured at the apex. Multiple choleliths were identified in the left cystic duct. The right gall bladder and cystic duct were grossly normal. The ruptured gall bladder was repaired, the gallstones were removed via a choledochotomy of the left cystic duct and a choledochoduodenostomy was created from the dilated left cystic duct. The cat remained depressed and anorexic, and it was euthanased 72 hours postoperatively at the owners' request. This is the first ante-mortem investigation of extrahepatic biliary disease associated with gall bladder duplication in the cat.     

Gastrointestinal small-cell lymphoma with gall bladder involvement in a cat

A 13-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat presented for investigation of decreased appetite and increased serum liver enzyme concentrations. An abdominal ultrasound revealed multiple sessile hyperechoic structures along the luminal aspect of the gall bladder wall and a mildly enlarged liver with hyperechoic nodules. Cholecystectomy was performed and biopsies were obtained by laparotomy. Histopathologic examination with immunohistochemistry was consistent with a diagnosis of small-cell lymphoma of T cells within the gall bladder, liver and small intestine. Clonality testing confirmed the diagnosis. The cat remains clinically stable 23 months after institution of treatment with prednisolone, chlorambucil and ursodeoxycholic acid. This is the first report of small-cell lymphoma in the gall bladder of a cat.     

Malignant mediastinal extra-adrenal paraganglioma with spinal cord invasion in a dog.

A 1.5-year-old castrated, male, mixed-breed dog was evaluated because of a 2-week history of lethargy, stiffness, and progressive paraparesis. Spinal radiographs, myelography, and computed tomography of the region showed a locally invasive mass involving the thoracic wall. Upon necropsy, an encapsulated, fluctuant mass was noted attached to the right dorsal body wall in the region of the fifth to seventh thoracic vertebra. Churukian-Schenk staining revealed positive granules within the neoplastic cell cytoplasm and immunohistochemistry was positive for expression for cytoplasmic neuron-specific enolase and synaptophysin. Chromogranin A and S100 expression were found to be negative. Immunohistochemistry and silver staining did not allow further differentiation of the tumor, and the diagnosis remains consistent with either a chromaffin paraganglioma or a nonchromaffin paraganglioma (chemodectoma) with some production of catecholamines. Extra-adrenal paragangliomas are rare neoplasms in dogs but should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis for a primary paraspinal thoracic mass.     

Posterior mediastinal paraganglioma involving the spinal cord of a dog

A posterior mediastinal paraganglioma is described in a five-year-old female collie showing paralysis of the hindlimbs. The mass was observed radiographically and a myelogram confirmed a spinal cord compression at the thoracic level. Histological examination of the mass diagnosed a paraganglioma which was confirmed by histochemical and immunohistochemical studies. This is compared with paraganglioma found in man.     

Ganglioneuroma in the urinary bladder of a dog

An 11-year-old male Labrador retriever presented with chronic oliguria. Ultrasonography findings revealed a protruding mass at the neck of the urinary bladder. A cystotomy was performed, and the mass was removed by ligation with surgical sutures. Histopathological examination revealed conspicuous foci with a variable number of ganglion cells in the tumor and abundant interwoven bundles of schwannian cells with fine fibers. The ganglion cells were positive for neuron-specific enolase and neurofilament. The schwannian cells were positive for vimentin, S-100 protein, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Thus, according to the classification of tumor with neuronal cell differentiation, the urinary tumor was diagnosed as a ganglioneuroma.     

Haemangiosarcoma of the urinary bladder in a dog

Haemangiosarcoma of the urinary bladder is reported in a dog. The bladder mass was detected incidentally during physical examination. Partial cystectomy with unilateral ureteroneocystostomy were performed to remove the tumour en bloc. Necrosis of the urinary bladder was diagnosed 10 days postoperatively and the dog was euthanased.     

Blastic crisis in chronic myelogenous leukaemia in a dog

A nine–year old Short–haired German Pointer bitch suffered from chronic myelogenous leukaemia for possibly more than a year. In the terminal stages the blood and bone marrow showed changes compatible with a blastic crisis.     

Acquired urinary bladder diverticulum in a dog

A neutered female chow chow aged six years and five months was evaluated for dysuria. An initial diagnosis of bladder distension and atony was made following physical, ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations. The problems did not resolve with medical management and exploratory surgery revealed a large bladder diverticulum. This report describes the radiographic findings and surgical repair of the acquired bladder diverticulum. The literature available on this condition is also reviewed.     

Ureterocolonic anastomosis in a dog with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Ureterocolonic anastomosis and cystectomy were performed in a dog for treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. The dog remained an acceptable house pet for 10 months after surgery. However, the tumor recurred 10 months after surgery, and the dog was euthanatized. Our results indicated that the combination of ureterocolonic anastomosis and cystectomy can be an acceptable form of palliative treatment for transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in the dog.