Diagnostic correlation of CT-MRI and histopathology in 10 dogs with brain neoplasms

Ten dogs with primary (n = 8) and metastatic (n = 2) brain tumours were studied in an attempt to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of the clinical signs noticed, seizures (seven of 10), behavioural abnormalities and cognition dysfunction (seven of 10), compulsive walking and circling (six of 10), sensorimotor (five of 10) and neuro-opthalmological (two of 10) dysfunction were the most common. In all 10 animals that finally died of the disease or were killed, the histopathological diagnosis that followed necropsy was taken as a golden standard in the CT or MRI prediction of the histological type of brain neoplasms. In every instance, tumour detection, morphology and histological differentiation were possible with the aid of either CT (seven of 10) or MRI (three of 10) imaging especially after contrast enhancement. Only one CT-evaluated dog, diagnosed as meningioma, was found to be astrocytoma on histopathology. Interestingly, a rare case of cerebellar medulloblastoma was correctly identified in MRI scans.     

Sporotrichosis: a retrospective evaluation of 23 cases seen in northern California (1987–2007)

Sporotrichosis is an uncommon to rare cutaneous and subcutaneous mycosis of animals and humans caused by the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii . Twenty-three mammalian cases of sporotrichosis examined between 1987 and 2007 at the University of California, Davis – Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, were retrospectively evaluated with regard to the historical, clinical, diagnostic and treatment findings. Cats were the most common species affected ( n  = 14). In addition, sporotrichosis was diagnosed in four dogs, four horses and a donkey. Six of 23 cases were diagnosed with the localized cutaneous form of sporotrichosis (four cats, one dog, one horse), 10 with the cutaneous-lymphatic form (four cats, two dogs, three horses and a donkey), and seven with the disseminated form (six cats, one dog). Two of 23 cases did not have skin lesions at the time of diagnosis (one cat, one dog). The most common mode of diagnosis was demonstration of S. schenckii on histopathological evaluation of tissue. In contrast with most previously described sporotrichosis infections in cats, few to no fungal organisms were seen in histopathological samples (haematoxylin and eosin and special stains) in five of the 14 cats. Treatments received included itraconazole (12 cats, one dog), ketoconazole (three dogs), fluconazole (one cat, one donkey), sodium iodide (four horses, one cat) and potassium iodide (one cat, one horse, one donkey). The prognosis for successful treatment was good in all species. Fluconazole was successful in inducing resolution of the cutaneous lesions and controlling the infection in one cat with disseminated sporotrichosis.     

Total Ear Canal Ablation Clinical Results in the Dog and Cat

The clinical results of 39 consecutive ear ablations (in 28 dogs and three cats) performed over a 15-year period were reviewed. Indications for ear canal ablation included hyperplastic tissue stenosis of the horizontal ear canal (23), failed lateral ear resections (13), and horizontal ear canal neoplasms (3). Ear ablation was successful in alleviating persistent signs of otitis in eight of 15 dogs with horizontal ear canal stenosis due to hyperplastic tissue, seven of 10 dogs with unsuccessful lateral ear resections, and two of five animals (three cats and two dogs) with horizontal ear canal neoplasms (follow-up time periods greater than 5 months). Surgical complications occurred following 82% of the ablations; wound infections (41%) and facial nerve damage (36%) were most common. Local wound and antibiotic therapy successfully treated prolonged drainage following ablation in five of nine dogs. Bulla osteotomy and drainage were successful in the treatment of three dogs (four ears) that were unresponsive to medical therapy with postoperative ear fistula following ablation, one of two dogs with prolonged ear drainage following ablation for failed lateral ear resection, and one dog with recurrence of signs of inner ear disease following ablation (follow-up period, 1 month to 4 years; mean, 3.4 years). Facial nerve damage caused by ablation was transient in nine of 14 ears, with most deficits returning to normal within 2 weeks.     

Photodynamic hyperthermal chemotherapy with indocyanine green: a novel cancer therapy for 16 cases of malignant soft tissue sarcoma

Sixteen cases of malignant soft tissue sarcoma (STS; 10 canines and six felines) were treated with a novel triple therapy that combined photodynamic therapy, hyperthermia using indocyanine green with a broadband light source, and local chemotherapy after surgical tumor resection. This triple therapy was called photodynamic hyperthermal chemotherapy (PHCT). In all cases, the surgical margin was insufficient. In one feline case, PHCT was performed without surgical resection. PHCT was performed over an interval of 1 to 2 weeks and was repeated three to 21 times. No severe side effects, including severe skin burns, necrosis, or skin suture rupture, were observed in any of the animals. No disease recurrence was observed in seven out of 10 (70.0%) dogs and three out of six (50.0%) cats over the follow-up periods ranging from 238 to 1901 days. These results suggest that PHCT decreases the risk of STS recurrence. PHCT should therefore be considered an adjuvant therapy for treating companion animals with STS in veterinary medicine.     

Medial Patellar Luxation in 16 Large Dogs A Retrospective Study

Unilateral medial patellar luxation was diagnosed in 10, and bilateral medial patellar luxation in six, large and giant-breed dogs (22 stifles). Lameness occurred in five dogs after trauma or surgery, and 11 dogs had no known predisposing history. The mean age at presentation was 25 months, and the mean time from initial onset of clinical signs to diagnosis was 13 weeks. All traumatic or iatrogenic luxations (five dogs) were unilateral. Luxations presumed to be congenital were unilateral in five dogs and bilateral in six. The grades of medial patellar luxation were I (1 stifle), II (11 stifles), III (9 stifles), and IV (1 stifle). Preoperative function was good (1 dog), fair (9 dogs), and poor (6 dogs). Surgical correction was performed in dogs with grades II, III, and IV luxations (21 stifles). Complications included one wound dehiscence and trochlear wedge migration, one pin loosening, and one persistent lameness caused by lymphoplasmacytic synovitis. Long-term follow-up was available in 13 dogs (18 stifles). Function was judged by owners to be excellent in seven dogs, good in five dogs, and poor in one dog. Surgical treatment of grades II and III luxations yielded good (8 stifles) and excellent (9 stifles) results, while one grade IV luxation had a poor long-term outcome.     

Chronic diarrhoea in adult horses: a review of 51 referred cases.

A retrospective analysis of the clinical and laboratory findings from 51 adult horses with chronic diarrhoea revealed that the most common conditions were larval cyathostomiasis (14 cases), idiopathic chronic colitis (nine cases) and alimentary lymphoma (five cases). Five animals had diarrhoea as a result of non-alimentary disease. A diagnosis was reached in 37 cases, but only 15 were made ante mortem. Among the 18 animals (35 per cent) which survived, there were five cases of larval cyathostomiasis, one case of colonic impaction and 12 cases were undiagnosed. The most frequent abnormalities detected in blood samples from the horses were neutrophilia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglobulinaemia and high alkaline phosphatase activity. Evidence of carbohydrate malabsorption was found in 16 of 28 cases in which oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. No diagnostic specificity was apparent in either the clinical signs or the laboratory findings.     

Cytogenetic study of bovine leukosis

Nine dairy cows aged four to eleven years were subjected to examination by chromosomal analysis. These cows had been found, by haematological examination, to suffer from leucosis. The study also covered one ten-day-old calf - heifer. The test group included two dam-daughter pairs. The animals belonged to the Black-Pied Lowland breed. The blood was sampled from vena jugularis and the karyotypes were processed and evaluated by the method after Moorhead et al. (1960), modified by Lojda et al. (1974). A list was kept for each animal. The tested animals were included in classes by the percentages of the chromosome aberrations: class I - two animals (up to 10% of aberrations), class II - seven animals (from 10% to 20% of aberrations), class III - one animal (above 20% of aberrations). Hyposomy was found in all cases, polysomy and hyperploidy in four cases. Structural aberrations were observed in nine cases, breaks being the most frequent anomalies (7 cases). Breaks on sexual chromosomes were observed in five cases, including the dam-daughter pairs; centric fusion occurred in one case and mixed aberrations in two cases.     

The effect of intrauterine inoculation with Ureaplasma diversum on bovine fertility.

To determine the influence of Ureaplasma diversum on bovine fertility 11 uninfected virgin heifers with normal ovarian cyclic activity were randomly allocated to test or control groups. At a synchronized estrus, five test heifers were given an intrauterine broth inoculum containing 1.09 x 10(8) to 1.4 x 10(9) colony forming units of U. diversum and six control animals were infused with sterile ureaplasma broth medium. All animals were artificially inseminated within one hour of infusion. Pregnancy was diagnosed in one of five test heifers and all of six controls by serum progesterone concentrations measured to 25 days postinsemination. The difference in pregnancy rates between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.0152). It was concluded that under the conditions of this experiment U. diversum is capable of causing infertility in cattle.     

A survey of congenital reproductive abnormalities in rams in abattoirs in South west England

Congenital abnormalities of the reproductive tract of male sheep were surveyed at three abattoirs in the south west of England during the period June 2000-January 2004. A total of 7307 rams were examined [6521 lambs (prepubescent) and hoggets (aged from their first autumn after birth until first shorn) and 786 adult rams mature rams that had been exposed to ewes]. A total of 156 congenital lesions were detected, 87 of which occurred in lambs. Testicular hypoplasia was the most common lesion occurring in 69 lambs as well as eight hoggets ('microtestes' were recognized in nine other animals in which the testis was disproportionately smaller than the epididymis). The second most common lesion found was notched scrotum occurring in 34 animals (27 young rams and seven adults). Some cases of notched scrotum were accompanied by hypospadias which was seen in a total of seven lambs and eight hoggets. Other lesions, detected in five or less animals (less than approximately 0.05% of the animals examined), included cryptorchidism and various abnormalities of the epididymis (segmental aplasia of the epididymis, blind efferent ducts and epididymal cyst) and congenital scrotal hernia. The overall prevalence of congenital lesions of 2.21% emphasizes the importance of undertaking breeding soundness examinations of young rams before they are put with the flock.     

Application of timed artificial insemination protocols to grazing Japanese black cattle with long open period

To investigate the viability of timed artificial insemination (TAI) protocols in grazing Japanese Black cattle with long open period, ovarian status and progesterone and estradiol-17 beta profiles of the animals during the protocol were monitored. In 1998, prosta-glandin F(2a) (PG) was administered to 36 animals seven days after GnRH injection. Three out of the 36 animals were inseminated after detection of estrus and did not receive further treatment. The second GnRH was injected to the remaining 33 animals 48 hr after the PG injection and TAI was performed 24 hr later. In 1999, PG was injected to 25 animals six days after GnRH, the second GnRH was injected to 22 animals 48 hr after PG, and TAI was performed 16 hr later (The other three animals were inseminated before the time of TAI). The percentage of the animals with at least one functional corpus luteum and one follicle equal to or greater than 10 mm in diameter at PG injection was similar between the groups in 1998 and 1999. Likewise, the hormonal profiles were similar between the two groups. Pregnancy rates (PR) after the TAI protocols and natural mating in 1998 and 1999 were 75.0% and 88.0%, respectively. These figures were comparable to the PR obtained by conventional estrus synchronization protocols using PG (in 1995; 69.4%) or CIDR (in 1996; 59.1%). In conclusion, the TAI protocol can be applicable into grazing Japanese Black cattle with long open period.     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY-GUIDED FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATE AND TISSUE-CORE BIOPSY OF INTRATHORACIC LESIONS IN THIRTY DOGS AND CATS

Medical records and computed tomography (CT) images were reviewed retrospectively for 30 animals (27 dogs, two cats, one cougar) in which CT-guided intrathoracic fine-needle aspirates (FNA) (12), core biopsies (10) or both (8) were performed. Sample interpretation was listed as diagnostic or nondiagnostic and nonneoplasia or neoplasia. Diagnostic results were inconclusive in 35% FNA and 17% biopsies. FNA and biopsy interpretations were in agreement in seven patients, one nonneoplasia, and six neoplasia. A clinical diagnosis was made in 65% FNA and 83% biopsies. When 18 patients with confirmed diagnoses were used, overall accuracy for diagnosis was 92% for FNA and biopsy and the sensitivity for neoplasia was 91% using fine needle aspirate and 80% using biopsy. Complications seen on CT images were noted in 43% of patients, four pneumothorax, five pulmonary hemorrhage, and four with both. No clinical manifestations were noted and treatment was not necessary. Significant correlation was noted between complications and penetration of aerated lung, but not with lesion location, type of disease, method of sampling, width of mass and depth of aerated lung penetrated. CT-guided sampling is relatively safe and useful in the diagnosis of intra-thoracic lesions, especially neoplasia. FNA samples are nondiagnostic more often than biopsy samples. Sub-clinical pneumothorax and hemorrhage are common when aerated lung is penetrated.     

Management of traumatic urethral rupture in 11 cats using primary alignment with a urethral catheter

OBJECTIVE: To assess the management of traumatic urethral ruptures using a systematic attempt at urethral catheterisation. METHODS: Eleven cats that had been diagnosed with a traumatic urethral rupture over a five-year period were included in this study. Rupture was assessed by positive-contrast retrograde urethrography. An attempt was made to manage these ruptures by placing an indwelling urethral catheter. RESULTS: The placement of an indwelling urethral catheter, could be performed in 10 out of 11 cats, which indicated a partial rupture. In one cat, catheterisation was not possible because of complete urethral rupture. A urethral catheter was placed into the urinary bladder via the urethra in five animals. In the other five animals, urethral catheterization required cystotomy using a modified 'inside to outside' technique. Urethral catheter removal occurred between five and 14 days after placement. Urethral healing was accomplished in all cases of catheterisation with a good outcome in eight of the 10 cats. Two cats showed clinical signs related to stricture formation during the follow-up period (seven to 72 months). Retrograde urethrography provided a definitive diagnosis of partial rupture in only six of the 10 cases of partial rupture. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Results suggested that primary alignment with the placement of a urethral catheter should be attempted for the management of traumatic urethral ruptures in cats. Gentle urethral catheterisation seems to be an effective procedure for diagnosing and dealing with partial urethral rupture in cats. Clinical stricture formation can occur, but the risk does not seem to be high. Further studies are warranted in order to define the ideal duration for maintenance of an indwelling urethral catheter in cases of traumatic partial urethral rupture.     

Injuries to the cranial cruciate ligament and associated structures: summary of clinical, radiographic, arthroscopic and pathological findings from 10 horses

The clinical, radiographic, arthroscopic and pathological findings of 10 horses with injury to the cranial cruciate ligament are presented. The most consistent clinical signs included moderate to severe distension of the femoropatellar joint and a Grade III to a Grade V out of V lameness. Craniocaudal instability could be elicited in five horses under general anaesthesia and in one conscious horse. Radiographic evaluation of the stifles revealed that avulsion fracture of the medial intercondylar eminence was the most common finding in six out of 10 horses. Arthroscopic examination of the affected femorotibial joints were performed in five horses. This confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament injury or rupture. Post mortem examinations were performed on two horses which documented partial tears of the cranial cruciate ligament.     

RADIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF LUNG LOBE TORSION

Clinical data, thoracic radiographs, ultrasonographic exams, and histopathologic reports in 13 dogs and two cats with confirmed lung lobe torsion were reviewed. Age of dogs ranged from 4 months to 11.5 years, (mean of 6.4 years) and several breeds of large and small dogs were represented. Right middle lobe torsion was predominant in large dogs (five of eight large breed dogs) and left cranial lobe torsion was more commonly seen in small dogs (three of five small-breed dogs). Two domestic short-hair cats, 10 and 14 years of age, had right cranial and right middle lobe torsion, respectively. Underlying thoracic disease was found in only five of 15 patients. On thoracic radiographs, increased lobar opacity and pleural effusion were found in all patients (100%). Small dispersed air bubbles were found within the affected lobe of 13 patients (87%). This pattern, which was the result of vesicular emphysema, was variably extensive, and became more evident on follow-up radiographs in five of six dogs. The lobar bronchi could be seen in only eight of 15 patients (54%), and appeared irregular, focally narrowed or blunted in six of the eight patients, and displaced in five of the eight. Other common radiographic findings included mediastinal shift (nine), curved and dorsally displaced trachea (seven), and axial rotation of the carina (seven). Ultrasonography was used in seven patients and considered generally useful, although variable signs were observed.     

Diagnostic tests for Trichinella spiralis infection in pigs. A comparative study of ELISA for specific antibody and histamine release from blood cells in experimental infections.

A study on the histamine release test (HR) for the demonstration of infections with Trichinella spiralis in pigs was carried out on 18 pigs, six infected with 200 larvae, six infected with 5000 larvae and six non-infected (control group). The results obtained by HR during a 7 week infection were compared with those of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All inoculated pigs were found to be positive on Day 40 post-inoculation (p.i.) by necropsy examination of selected muscle groups, with mean recoveries of 7.9 and 225 larvae g-1 of tissue in the low- and high-dose group, respectively. At this time, all animals of the high-dose group and five out of six animals of the low-dose group were antibody positive in ELISA with any of three coating antigens employed (a crude muscle larva extract, an excretory/secretory (ES) antigen and a purified 45 kDa antigen). HR performed on whole blood was positive in four out of six pigs of the high-dose group and one out of six pigs of the low-dose group. The earliest ELISA seroconversions took place at Day 15 p.i. with crude and ES antigens. The earliest measurable reaction in HR performed on whole blood was found on Day 19 p.i. There was considerable individual variation regarding which test was the most sensitive for the early detection of infection. Washing of the blood cells prior to antigen provocation led to a markedly improved sensitivity of HR, all animals of the high-dose and three out of six animals of the low-dose group being positive by Day 40 p.i. The time course of the development of ELISA titres and HR reactivity indicated that this effect is due to the removal of blocking antibodies.     

Computed tomographic findings in canine pyothorax and correlation with findings at exploratory thoracotomy

Objectives : To describe computed tomographic (CT) findings in canine spontaneous pyothorax and compare them to surgical findings and to assess the utility of CT in guiding case management. Methods : Records from 2003 to 2010 were reviewed to identify dogs, with spontaneous pyothorax, which had undergone CT. Cases were managed medically or surgically. CT images and surgery reports were reviewed and compared for surgical cases. Results : Twelve dogs were included. Eight were managed surgically, three were managed medically and one died before management. Pleural fluid was present in all dogs on CT (n=12) and at surgery (n=8). Pleural gas was identified in five dogs on CT. Pleural thickening was detected in eight dogs on CT (seven visceral, one parietal and six mediastinal) and eight dogs at surgery (seven visceral, eight parietal and six mediastinal), six of which were identified by CT. Abnormal pulmonary parenchyma was detected in 10 dogs on CT and 5 dogs at surgery, all of which were identified by CT. Mediastinal involvement was detected in 10 dogs on CT and 6 dogs at surgery, 5 of which were identified by CT. Conclusions : CT and surgical findings are similar in most cases of canine spontaneous pyothorax. CT may be a useful diagnostic tool for guiding case management.     

Vaccination of Tunisian dogs with the lyophilised SAG2 oral rabies vaccine incorporated into the DBL2 dog bait

The protective effect of the lyophilised SAG2 oral vaccine bait DBL2, already demonstrated on laboratory dogs, needed to be verified on common Tunisian dogs. Seven Tunisian dogs consumed totally or partially one DBL2 bait containing 10(8.3) TCID50 of the highly attenuated rabies vaccine strain, SAG2. Five of the seven vaccinated animals survived a challenge administered 33 days later with a Tunisian canine street rabies virus to which five of the six controls that were not vaccinated and had no specific antibodies succumbed. The partial or total consumption of a single DBL2 bait thus conferred a protective immune response similar to that observed in laboratory dogs to dogs of poor health status. The sero-antibody response was, however, weak: only two vaccinated dogs exhibited a significant neutralising antibody response after vaccination and before the challenge, and four after the challenge.     

Comparison of two doses of ropivacaine for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis)

Six male buffalo calves aged from six to eight months and weighing 100 to 120 kg were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of caudal epidural analgesia produced by doses of 37.5 mg (5 ml) and 75 mg (10 ml) ropivacaine (0.75 per cent). The study was completed in two phases. In phase 1, all the animals were used twice to evaluate the analgesic and clinical effects of two doses of ropivacaine. In phase 2, the animals were divided into two groups of three to evaluate the effects of two doses of ropivacaine on some haemodynamic and acid-base parameters. Signs of analgesia, as evidenced by a loss of response to pinprick stimulation, were recorded only at the tail, perineum and hindlimbs of the animals given 5 ml ropivacaine, but they extended from the tail to the thorax (T9) in the animals given 10 ml ropivacaine. The duration of analgesia was five to six hours in the animals given 5 ml ropivacaine and seven to eight hours in the animals given 10 ml ropivacaine. Animals of both groups became recumbent, but the score for ataxia was higher in the animals given 10 ml ropivacaine. The respiratory rate decreased significantly (P<0.05) below the baseline in the animals given 10 ml ropivacaine, but the rectal temperature, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure and acid-base and electrolyte parameters did not change significantly in either group.     

Studies on the efficacy of intranasal vaccination for the prevention of experimentally induced parainfluenza type 3 virus pneumonia in calves.

The efficacy of intranasal vaccination in preventing or limiting disease of the lower respiratory tract induced by parainfluenza 3 (PI3) virus was evaluated under experimental conditions, using a commercially available live vaccine containing a temperature-sensitive strain of PI3 virus. In a preliminary study four colostrum-deprived calves were vaccinated intranasally at one week and again at two months of age, and two similar calves were given an intranasal placebo. After the second vaccination serum antibodies to PI3 virus were detected in all four vaccinated calves, but not in the control animals. Seventeen days after the second vaccination all six calves were challenged with virulent PI3 virus, and they were killed six days later. The clinical scores and the extent of pulmonary consolidation were reduced in the vaccinated animals; PI3 virus was detected in the upper and lower respiratory tract of the control calves but in none of the vaccinated calves. In a larger scale study with 14 colostrum-fed calves, seven were vaccinated at one week and again at five weeks of age, and seven were given an intranasal placebo. Two weeks after the second vaccination all 14 calves were challenged with virulent PI3 virus. The clinical scores and lung consolidation were significantly reduced in the vaccinated calves in comparison with the controls. Six days after infection, 10 of the 14 calves were killed; PI3 virus was detectable in the nasal secretions of all seven control calves but in only one of the vaccinated animals, and PI3 viral antigen was detected in the lungs of the control calves but not in those of the vaccinated animals. One of the vaccinated calves had developed a severe clinical response after the challenge, but it had only minor lung consolidation when killed.     

Effect and mechanisms of the anti-prolactin drug cabergoline on pseudopregnancy in the bitch

A potent anti-prolactin drug, cabergoline, administered orally for five days, was clinically successful in treating three different clinical manifestations of pseudopregnancy in referred bitches. The clinical conditions treated were categorised as standard pseudopregnant bitches (n=8), those previously unsuccessfully treated with hormones (n=10) and those which had behavioural pseudo pregnancy following ovariohysterectomy (n=8). The number of bitches whose owners reported a 'good'response was seven out of eight, six out of 10 and six out of eight, respectively. There were very few side effects in that only one bitch vomited following treatment. The clinical response did not necessarily appear to be related to an alteration in circulating prolactin concentrations, suggesting that the drug may have a direct effect on the tissues as well as in most cases reducing the plasma prolactin concentrations.