Chylothorax treated via thoracic duct ligation and omentalization.

Chylothorax is an uncommon, potentially life-threatening disease of dogs and cats. Medical records of 12 animals (five dogs and seven cats) undergoing surgical management of chylothorax from 2001 to 2005 were reviewed. All animals received thoracic duct ligation and thoracic omentalization. In some cases, a combination of subtotal pericardectomy and/or pleural stripping was also employed. All animals survived surgery, and none was lost to follow-up. Median survival time for cats was 209 days (range 2 to 1328 days), and for dogs it was 211 days (range 7 to 991 days). Although postoperative mortality was higher than in other recent studies, no complications could be directly attributed to thoracic omentalization. A controlled, prospective study is needed to compare outcomes of this management method to those of other methods.

Tracheal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis in a Cat.

A 10-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair cat presented for a suspected tracheal mass. Radiographs confirmed an intraluminal tracheal mass. Tracheal resection and anastomosis of 5 tracheal rings was performed with minimal, mild intraoperative complications and no postoperative complications. Histopathology of the tracheal mass revealed a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with incomplete margins both cranially and caudally. Further treatment, including surgical revision, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, was recommended. At the time of publication, no further treatment has been initiated, and a scheduled consultation with the oncologist has been canceled. The cat is doing well at home with no reported signs of recurrence 120 days postoperatively. This is the first report of a cat with a tracheal SCC to be treated with a tracheal resection and anastomosis and only the third feline tracheal SCC to be treated in the veterinary literature.

Successful Surgical Therapy of a Double Aortic Arch in a 10-Month-Old Mixed Breed Dog.

A 10-month-old female spayed mixed breed dog with a suspected vascular ring anomaly was presented for exercise intolerance and wheezing. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a double aortic arch. The smaller right aortic arch was successfully ligated via right 4th intercostal thoracotomy. The patient was discharged one day postoperatively and continued to have good outcome at recheck 3.5 weeks after surgery. This is the 4th documented case of double aortic arch with a successful outcome. Preoperative CT scan was vital in preoperative planning and should be strongly recommended in all cases of suspected vascular ring anomalies with atypical presentation.

Surgical excision of anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinomas with and without adjunctive chemotherapy in dogs: 42 cases (2005-2011).

Objective-To identify variables associated with prognosis in dogs undergoing surgical excision of anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinomas (ASACs) with and without adjunctive chemotherapy. Design-Retrospective case series. Animals-42 dogs with ASACs. Procedures-Information on signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic procedures, surgical procedures, adjunctive therapies, survival time, and disease-free interval was obtained from the medical records. Results-Survival time was significantly associated with the presence of sublumbar lymphadenopathy and sublumbar lymph node extirpation, with median survival time significantly shorter for dogs with sublumbar lymphadenopathy (hazard ratio, 2.31) than for those without and for dogs that underwent lymph node extirpation (hazard ratio, 2.31) than for those that did not. Disease-free interval was significantly associated with the presence of sublumbar lymphadenopathy, lymph node extirpation, and administration of platinum-containing chemotherapeutic agents, with median disease-free interval significantly shorter for dogs with sublumbar lymphadenopathy (hazard ratio, 2.47) than for those without, for dogs that underwent lymph node extirpation (hazard ratio, 2.47) than for those that did not, and for dogs that received platinum-containing chemotherapeutic agents (hazard ratio, 2.69) than for those that did not. Survival time and disease-free interval did not differ among groups when dogs were grouped on the basis of histopathologic margins (complete vs marginal vs incomplete excision). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results suggested that in dogs with ASAC undergoing surgical excision, the presence of sublumbar lymphadenopathy and lymph node extirpation were both negative prognostic factors. However, completeness of surgical excision was not associated with survival time or disease-free interval.

Feline thyroid surgery.

Hyperthyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed endocrine disease in cats. Surgery is a widely available curative therapy for hyperthyroid cats. Because of the multiple metabolic changes associated with hyperthyroidism, surgical management can be challenging. Multiple methods of thyroidectomy and their associated levels of morbidity are reviewed.