A severe hepatic disorder with myelodysplastic syndrome, treated with cytarabine ocfosfate, in a dog

An 8-year-old female Shih Tzu was presented with weight loss and vomiting. Alanine aminotransferase was high and abdominal radiographs revealed hepato- and splenomegaly. Mild anaemia, neutrophilia with left shift, eosinophilia, a thrombocytosis with dysplastic features of eosinophils and platelets, were detected. The animal was initially considered to have hepatitis and was treated accordingly, but clinical signs persisted. Histological examination of liver biopsy samples showed disruption of the hepatic lobule, with extensive infiltration by haemopoietic cells. Further investigation of the bone marrow suggested a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome. The animal was treated with cytarabine ocfosfate, a prodrug of cytosine arabinoside, and appeared to recover.