Rectal ganglioneuroma in a dog

An 18-month-old, spayed female Australian terrier cross was presented with a 10-month history of chronic large bowel diarrhea. Ulceration and two proliferative masses in the rectum were seen on colonoscopy. Surgical resection was performed to remove the masses, and the dog recovered without complications related to surgery. Histopathology was consistent with the diagnosis of ganglioneuroma. The dog had no clinical signs of disease within three months of surgery and was completely normal 2.5 years after diagnosis. This is the first report providing follow-up and successful outcome of a ganglioneuroma in the gastrointestinal tract of a dog.     

Small intestinal ganglioneuromatosis in a dog

A 6-week-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross was presented with a 4-week history of vomiting and small bowel diarrhoea. Abdominal ultrasound showed thickening of the distal jejunum and ileum. The dog underwent two exploratory laparotomies, during which grossly abnormal sections of intestine were resected. The patient developed septic peritonitis 48 h after the second surgery, caused by dehiscence of an intestinal anastomosis, and was euthanased. All intestinal tissue samples were examined histopathologically and a diagnosis of gastrointestinal ganglioneuromatosis was made. Intestinal ganglioneuromatosis is rare and this case represents a novel occurrence in the small intestine of a dog.     

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in a dog

SUMMARY A three-year-old neutered female Border Collie was presented with in-appetence, vomiting and diarrhoea. Abdominal radiographs revealed an obstructive pattern but no physical obstruction was evident at laparotomy. A diagnosis of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction was made based on histopathological changes in intestinal biopsies. Treatment was unsuccessful and the dog deteriorated progressively until euthanased five weeks after presentation.     

Caecal impaction and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in a dog

A 10-year-old female neutered cross-breed dog presented with a 4-month history of chronic intermittent diarrhoea and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasound showed dilated loops of small intestine and a suspected faecolith. Exploratory surgery revealed a caecal impaction and a typhlectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of caecal and full thickness small intestine sections demonstrated atrophy of smooth muscle fibres as well as an influx of plasma cells, lymphocytes and macrophages, and mild lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic enteritis. This combination of caecal impaction and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction has not been reported previously in the dog.     

Large granular intestinal lymphosarcoma and leukemia in a dog

A rare, large granular lymphocyte (LGL) tumor causing a protein-losing enteropathy and thrombocytopenia was diagnosed in an Irish wolfhound. The case had an aggressive clinical course, like most LGL tumors in humans. Immunophenotyping suggested that the LGL tumor in this dog was derived from a natural-killer cell.     

Multiple intestinal lymphomatous polyposis in a Jindo dog

A male, 5-year-old Jindo dog underwent enterectomy and enteroanastomosis due to ileus of the intestine at a local veterinary hospital. Grossly, the excised intestine showed markedly thickened multinodular masses in the serosal layer of the upper part, and soft-to-firm, cream-colored neoplastic masses that displayed extensive nodular mucosal protuberances into the lumen. The neoplastic masses were filled with large round cells that were ovoid in shape and they had pale and/or hyperchromatic nuclei. The neoplastic cells had mainly infiltrated into the mucosal and submucosal layers, and they had diffusely invaded the muscular and serosal layers. Therefore, the diagnosis of canine multiple intestinal malignant lymphomatous polyposis was made based on the gross and histopathological findings. The origin of these tumor cells was determined to be B-cells since they were positive for anti-CD20.     

Immunohistochemical evaluation of a malignant intestinal carcinoid in a dog

An intestinal carcinoid with multiple metastases was identified in a 5-year-old male Shih Tzu with a clinical history of anemia, fatigue, anorexia, vomiting, intermittent diarrhea, intestinal bleeding, and progressive emaciation. There was a yellowish-white mass 15 mm in diameter in the anterior jejunum and white nodules consistent with metastases in many organs. Histopathologically, the mass consisted of neoplastic cells arranged in lobules, trabeculae, or closely interdigitating islands of cells. Neoplastic cells were generally polygonal with round hyperchromatic nuclei, modest amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm, and eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules. Mitoses were common. Rosette formations of tumor cells were apparent in metastatic tumors. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells stained positive for cytokeratin 13, synaptophysin, protein gene product 9.5, neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A, calcitonin gene-related peptide, serotonin (5-HT), and Leu-7. Serum 5-HT concentrations for this dog were increased 10-fold compared with those of normal dogs. All findings were consistent with a diagnosis of a malignant intestinal carcinoid.     

Paraneoplastic hypereosinophilia in a dog with intestinal T-cell lymphoma

A 9-year-old, intact male Doberman Pinscher was examined because of anorexia and weakness. Results of a CBC showed severe, microcytic, hypochromic anemia with mild eosinophilia (2944 cells/microL, reference interval 100-1250/microL) and thrombocytosis. Hypoferremia, hypoferritinemia, and a positive fecal occult blood test supported a diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia secondary to chronic intestinal hemorrhage. Abdominal ultrasound evaluation showed a thickened small intestinal loop, of which representative specimens were obtained during exploratory laparotomy. Histologically, the intestinal wall was infiltrated by a neoplastic population of large, round, lymphoid cells with vesicular chromatin, 1 or more prominent nucleoli, and a high number of mitotic figures. The cells were closely admixed with mature eosinophils, but were negative for metachromatic granules with toluidine blue. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for CD3, and negative for CD21, Pan B, and CD79a. A diagnosis of intestinal T-cell lymphoma was made. Chemotherapy was begun, with 30 mg/m;2 of doxorubicin administered intravenously every 3 weeks. Eosinophil concentration was 880/microL 2 weeks after surgery (on day 15 after presentation) but increased markedly to 62,914/microL on day 30, 62,400/microL on day 37, and 39,444/microL on day 58 after presentation. An association between hypereosinophilia and T-cell lymphoma is well established in human patients, in whom production of IL-5 by neoplastic T cells has been demonstrated. Hypereosinophilia has been reported only rarely with intestinal lymphoma in cats and horses, and with T-cell lymphoma in dogs.     

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in a dog with intestinal leiomyosarcoma

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus was diagnosed in a dog with an intestinal leiomyosarcoma. The diagnosis of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus was made on the basis of results of serum biochemical tests, urinalyses, and a water-deprivation test, along with a lack of response to exogenous administration of vasopressin following the water-deprivation test. The temporal association between resection of the intestinal mass and resolution of clinical signs of diabetes insipidus (i.e., polyuria and polydipsia) and between recurrence of clinical signs and detection of metastatic disease suggests that there may have been a causal relationship, and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus may have developed as a paraneoplastic syndrome in this dog.     

Chronic intestinal diseases in the dog: a review

The most commonly encountered chronic enteropathies in dogs are inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food allergies, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Recent research in the field of immunopathogenesis of IBD and food allergy in human beings have made available new therapeutic options with immunomodulatory drugs. However, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of canine IBD and food allergy have not been elucidated so far. Further studies focusing on the immunological dysregulation in the mucosa as well as clinical trials with new therapeutic modalities are needed to improve our knowledge and approach to these chronic diseases in dogs.     

德国牧羊犬精子超微结构及超低温冷冻对精子超微结构的影响

为了研究超低温冷冻前后德国牧羊犬精子超微结构的变化,采用扫描电镜和透射电镜对冷冻前后德国牧羊犬精子超微结构变化进行研究,结果显示在扫描电镜下,鲜精整体呈“蝌蚪状”,头部呈扁卵圆形.在透射电镜下精子纵切面头部呈“楔形”,头部细胞膜由外向内分别由质膜、顶体外膜、项体内膜和核膜组成.精子尾部中段横切面由外向内可见线粒体鞘膜、9束外周致密纤维,9对轴丝和2根中央微管.精子头长约为5.40 μm,头宽3.26 μm,颈长1.25 μm,颈宽0.55 μm,尾部中段长11.34 μm,中段直径0.87 μm,尾部长55.70 μm,线粒体螺旋数为44旋.鲜精和冷冻前精子头部、颈部和尾部形态变化差异均不显著(P＞0.05).超低温冷冻后精子头部、颈部和尾部发生形态变化的精子数极显著高于鲜精和冻前精子数(P＜0.01).冻后顶体发生明显形态变化的精子占54.21％,高于发生颈部形态变化(10.61％)和尾部形态变化(28.83％)的精子数.结果表明鲜精和冻前精子形态变化不显著,而超低温冷冻后精子头部、颈部和尾部发生形态变化的精子数显著高于鲜精和冻前精子数.     

Cardiac ganglioneuroma in a juvenile pig

A cardiac mass (3 × 5 × 3 cm) was detected at the base between the right auricular wall and right vena cava of a slaughtered 6-month-old female mixed-breed pig during a meat inspection. The tumor comprised infiltrative prominent interweaving fascicles of Schwann cells with Verocay bodies. Moreover, the ganglion cells were scattered or aggregated throughout the neoplastic tissue. The ganglion and Schwann cells had neither cellular atypism nor mitosis. On the basis of the bearing site as well as the morphological and immunohistochemical features, this is the first case of a cardiac ganglioneuroma in a pig.     

Functional intestinal hypomotility in association with neuronal damage in a dog

A young, crossbred dog with a 13-month history of progressively worsening, recurrent episodes of vomiting, anorexia, depression and dehydration was diagnosed as having a functional hypomotility disorder of the small Intestines. During hospitalisation, the dog's condition Improved only when total parenteral nutrition was administered. When fed orally, the dog developed severe gastric dilatation. Intestinal motility was minimal, but was Induced by neostigmine. Post mortem findings Included dilatation of the duodenum and progressive narrowing of the small bowel up to the lleum. Histopathology revealed various grades of neuronal degeneration and necrosis of the myenteric plexuses throughout the small Intestine. Microscopic changes resembled those reported In dysautonomia, but were limited to small intestinal myenteric plexuses. A locallsed congenital neuronal defect causing a lack of parasympathetic tone Is suspected.