Reconstruction of the lower eyelid by third eyelid lateral advancement and local transposition cutaneous flap after "en bloc" resection of squamous cell carcinoma in 5 cats

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique for blepharoplasty to cover a tissue defect involving >/=50% of the lower eyelid. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Five cats with lower eyelid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: En bloc resection of SCC by removing >/=50% of the lower lid with either the medial or lateral canthus was performed without other adjunctive treatment for SCC. The lid defect was reconstructed with a transposition skin flap derived from the frontal (medial defect) or temporal (lateral defect) region. The third eyelid was advanced laterally without dissection from its insertion; its outer conjunctival layer was removed, and the skin flap was sutured with single interrupted sutures dorsally over the nictitating membrane, ventrally to the cutaneous edge of the surgical wound and medially or laterally (depending on the canthus removed) to the skin of the remaining lower lid. RESULTS: Satisfactory cosmetic and functional results were achieved and the Schirmer tear tests were normal. In 2 cats, the skin flap needed monthly hair trimming to avoid corneal lesions. CONCLUSIONS: After en bloc resection of SCC involving >/=50% of the lower eyelid, reconstruction can be achieved by relocation of the third eyelid and use of a cutaneous transposition flap sutured to the scarified external surface of the third eyelid. Eyelid apposition and lacrimal function were preserved. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Blepharoplasty using a cutaneous transposition flap sutured to the scarified surface of a relocated third eyelid should be considered for reconstruction of lower eyelid defects with >/=50% tissue loss of the lid margin.     

Diagnosis and surgical removal of brain abscesses in a juvenile alpaca

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 1-month-old female alpaca was examined because of progressive clinical signs consistent with an intracranial lesion. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Clinical signs included signs of depression, lethargy, tetraparesis, and neck weakness. Two large isointense intracranial masses could be seen on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. On T2-weighted images, the masses contained concentric rings of hypointense and hyperintense material. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: 2 abscesses were removed via a craniotomy that incorporated removal of the sagittal crest and surrounding skull and transection of the sagittal sinus. The bony deficit was replaced with polypropylene mesh. The alpaca recovered within 2 weeks and was fully integrated into the herd within 1 month after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings indicated that surgical removal is a feasible means of successfully treating intracranial abscesses in juvenile alpacas.     

Clinical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of intracavitary administration of pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin in dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma

BACKGROUND: Canine splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a fatal malignancy, and most affected dogs die within a few months of diagnosis. Most dogs present with signs from tumor rupture, resulting in hemoabdomen and intra-abdominal dissemination. The abdomen is also the main site of disease recurrence. HYPOTHESIS: Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of doxorubicin will delay or prevent intra-abdominal tumor recurrence and prolong survival in dogs with HSA. ANIMALS: Fourteen dogs with splenic HSA. METHODS: A prospective, unmasked, uncontrolled clinical trial. After staging of disease status and splenectomy, pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin was administered intraperitoneally (1 mg/kg body weight) every 3 weeks for 4 cycles. All dogs were monitored for recurrence of HSA. Samples of plasma and abdominal fluid were collected for measurement of doxorubicin concentration and pharmacokinetic analysis. Nonlinear mixed-effect modeling was used to describe the pharmacokinetics of liposomal doxorubicin administered IP. RESULTS: All 14 dogs died, 12 because of HSA and 2 from other causes. Postmortem examination was performed on 12 dogs. All 12 dogs died because of HSA-related causes and had hepatic metastases and hemoabdomen. The IP-treated dogs had fewer serosal, mesenteric, and omental metastases than historical controls treated with systemic doxorubicin. Results of the postmortem examination and pharmacokinetic analysis confirmed that IP delivery of doxorubicin resulted in an effective drug concentration with a clearance comparable with that after i.v. delivery. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: IP pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin administration did not prevent intraabdominal recurrence of HSA in dogs.     

Quantification of stress sensitive markers in single fecal samples do not accurately predict excretion of these in the pig

All feces produced during 24 h were collected from five pigs and cortisol and immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (CICM), and IgA were quantified. Within pigs, the concentrations of CICM and IgA varied extensively between random samples obtained from a single fecal dropping, and deviated in most cases significantly from the true concentration measured in total fecal output (CV 6.7-130%). The CICM and IgA contents varied considerably (CV 8.1-114%) within and between individual fecal droppings from the same pig compared to the total fecal excretion. In conclusion, single random samples could not be used to reliably quantify the total fecal concentration or excretion of CICM or IgA in pigs. Analyses of all feces collected during shorter periods than 24 h did not provide an accurate estimate of the daily excretion of CICM. Thus, the concentration of stress sensitive molecules in random single fecal samples as an indicator of animal welfare should be interpreted with prudence.     

Multiple-center study of reduced-concentration triamcinolone topical solution for the treatment of dogs with known or suspected allergic pruritus

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of triamcinolone acetonide topical solution (TTS) in dogs for use in reduction of clinical signs of pruritic inflammatory skin diseases of a known or suspected allergic basis and to evaluate adverse effects associated with TTS administration. ANIMALS: 103 pruritic adult dogs with known or suspected allergic skin disease. PROCEDURE: Dogs were treated for 4 weeks with TTS or with vehicle solution (control dogs) in a multiple-center study. Clinical signs were scored by owners and by examining veterinarians before and after treatment. Blood samples obtained before and after treatment were subjected to routine hematologic and serum biochemical analyses. RESULTS: Treatment success, as defined by an improvement of at least 2 of 6 grades in overall clinical score, was evident in 35 of 52 (67%) TTS-treated dogs (mean improvement, 1.98) and 12 of 51 (24%) control dogs (mean improvement, 0.29). For several criteria, TTS was significantly more effective than vehicle in reducing clinical signs. Minor alterations in hematologic determinations in TTS-treated dogs were limited to slightly lower total leukocyte, lymphocyte, and eosinophil counts after treatment. Minor adverse effects were reported by owners in 6 of 52 (12%) TTS-treated and 9 of 51 (18%) control dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Triamcinolone used as a spray solution at a concentration approximately one-sixth the concentration of triamcinolone topical preparations currently available for veterinary use is effective for short-term alleviation of allergic pruritus in dogs. Adverse effects are few and mild and, thus, do not preclude prolonged treatment with the solution.     

Prospects for a novel vaccine against tuberculosis

The development of a new and improved vaccine against tuberculosis has in the last 10 years been accelerated tremendously from the completed Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome and the progress in molecular biology. This has resulted in the identification of a large number of antigens with potential in tuberculosis vaccines. The next phase of this work has now started--putting the most relevant molecules back together as fusion molecules and cocktails. This requires carefully monitoring of aspects as immunodominance, recognition in different populations as well as the influence of different adjuvants and delivery systems. The most advanced of these vaccines such as the fusion between ESAT6 and Ag85B have been evaluated in a range of animal models including non-human primates and are now entering into clinical trials. For these vaccines to be successfully implemented in future vaccination programmes it is necessary to understand the immunological background for the failure of BCG and optimize the vaccines for their ability to boost the immuno-response primed by BCG.     

IGF-I- and EGF-dependent DNA synthesis of porcine myoblasts is influenced by the dietary isoflavones genistein and daidzein

Soy-derived isoflavones have been reported to be specific inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases like the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This study was conducted to investigate, whether IGF-I and EGF stimulate porcine myoblast growth and whether the responses are influenced by isoflavones. Satellite cell-born myoblasts derived from the semimembranosus muscle of newborn piglets were treated for 26h with IGF-I or EGF alone and in combination with genistein or daidzein. The DNA amount was measured and DNA synthesis was recorded as 6 h-[(3)H]thymidine incorporation during exponential growth in serum-free basal medium. IGF-I and EGF synergistically stimulated DNA synthesis of porcine myoblast with EGF causing a greater response. Genistein (100mumol/l) effectively reduced the growth factor-mediated DNA synthesis, which was associated with an inhibition of growth factor receptor protein expression. In response to daidzein no reduction in growth factor-mediated DNA synthesis was found. Daidzein (1; 10mumol/l) combined with IGF-I caused even a slight increase in DNA amount compared with the untreated control. The expression of the IGF-1R precursor protein was reduced with 10 and 100mumol/l daidzein, whereas the EGFR expression remained unchanged with daidzein. The results suggest that dietary isoflavones may interact with growth factor-induced stimulation of pig skeletal muscle growth.