RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of CT pulmonary angiography for identification of naturally occurring pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs using predefined diagnostic criteria and to assess the ability of echocardiography, cardiac troponins, D-dimers and kaolin-activated thromboelastography to predict the presence of pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs. METHODS: Twelve dogs with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia and evidence of respiratory distress were prospectively evaluated. Dogs were sedated immediately before CT pulmonary angiography using intravenous butorphanol. Spiral CT pulmonary angiography was performed with a 16 detector-row CT scanner using a pressure injector to infuse contrast media through peripheral intravenous catheters. Pulmonary thromboembolism was diagnosed using predefined criteria. Contemporaneous tests included echocardiography, arterial blood gas analysis, kaolin-activated thromboelastography, D-dimers and cardiac troponins. RESULTS: Based on predefined criteria, four dogs were classified as pulmonary thromboembolism positive, three dogs were suspected to have pulmonary thromboembolism and the remaining five dogs had negative scans. The four dogs identified with pulmonary thromboembolism all had discrete filling defects in main or lobar pulmonary arteries. None of the contemporaneous tests was discriminant for pulmonary thromboembolism diagnosis, although the small sample size was limiting. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: CT pulmonary angiography can be successfully performed in dogs under sedation, even in at-risk patients with respiratory distress and can both confirm and rule out pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades de los Perros/diagnóstico , Sistemas de Atención de Punto , Embolia Pulmonar/veterinaria , Animales , Enfermedades de los Perros/sangre , Enfermedades de los Perros/diagnóstico por imagen , Perros , Ecocardiografía/veterinaria , Femenino , Productos de Degradación de Fibrina-Fibrinógeno/análisis , Masculino , Arteria Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Embolia Pulmonar/sangre , Embolia Pulmonar/diagnóstico , Embolia Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Tromboelastografía/veterinaria , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X/veterinaria , Troponina/sangreRESUMEN
A two-year-old female neutered Tibetan terrier was referred following a one-month history of lethargy, inappetence and pancytopenia, which had been poorly responsive to immunosuppressive and fluoroquinolone treatment. The dog was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia and was found to be positive for Ehrlichia canis by both antibody titre measurement and polymerase chain reaction. The dog lived in London and had not travelled outside the UK. The dog was treated with doxycycline, prednisolone and ciclosporin, but died as a result of gastrointestinal tract haemorrhage. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first reported case of Ehrlichia canis in a dog in the UK with no previous travel history.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades de los Perros/microbiología , Ehrlichia canis , Ehrlichiosis/veterinaria , Animales , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Enfermedades de los Perros/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de los Perros/tratamiento farmacológico , Enfermedades de los Perros/epidemiología , Perros , Ehrlichiosis/epidemiología , Ehrlichiosis/etiología , Resultado Fatal , Femenino , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/veterinaria , Viaje , Reino Unido/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
A 10-year-old male cross-breed dog was referred for investigation of oral malignant melanoma. Fine-needle aspirates were taken from the draining submandibular lymph node. The presence of metastatic melanoma cells was confirmed by cytological examination and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers for the melanoma-associated antigens: tyrosinase and mart-1/melan A. Cytokine expression in the lymph node was evaluated by multiplex RT-PCR, which demonstrated the presence of mRNA for IL-10 and TGF-beta1. However, IL-2, IL-4 and IFNgamma mRNA could not be detected, suggesting a lack of immune activation. Thoracic radiographs showed a lesion within the caudal lung fields suggestive of pulmonary metastasis. The dog developed signs of dyspnoea and collapse and was euthanased four days later. This case illustrates that molecular techniques can be used to aid clinical staging of canine oral malignant melanoma, and suggests that immunosuppressive cytokines could be involved in the pathogenesis of disease.