Pulmonary
Allison Zwingenberger 2008
Publication Date: 2008-06-10
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History
10 year old male neutered Bernese Mountain dog. Weakness and ataxia for two weeks.
Findings
There are multiple soft tissue opacity masses within all lung lobes. The largest mass is present within the right cranial lobe and is causing increased volume. Other masses are visible in the left caudal lobe near the diaphragm and in the central portion of the lobe. Air filled bronchi are visible within these masses. The cardiovascular structures appear normal.
DDx
- Neoplasia, with histiocytic sarcoma being much more likely than other tumor types such as carcinoma and lymphoma.
Diagnosis
Histiocytic sarcoma.
Discussion
Rottweilers are particularly prone to histiocytic sarcoma. These tumors, when present in the lung, are often large, somewhat ill-defined or lobular, and multiple in distribution. The signalment and appearance of the lesions are very suggestive of histiocytic sarcoma. The additional findings within the abdomen support the diagnosis, as this is often a multicentric or late metastatic disease on presentation.
Additional Findings
On ultrasonography of the abdomen, there were multiple enlarged, hypoechoic lymph nodes. Necropsy confirmed the finding of multiple lung lobes infiltrated with masses.
References
- Shaiken LC, Evans SM, Goldschmidt MH. Radiographic findings in canine malignant histiocytosis. Veterinary Radiology 1991;32:237-242.
- Cruz-Arambulo R, Wrigley R, Powers B. Sonographic features of histiocytic neoplasms in the canine abdomen. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound 2004;45:554-558.
- Ramirez S, Douglass JP, Robertson ID. Ultrasonographic features of canine abdominal malignant histiocytosis. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound 2002;43:167-170.