Use of cystoscopic-guided laser ablation for treatment of unilateral ureterovesicular stenosis and secondary orthotopic ureterocele in a female dog.

CASE DESCRIPTION A 4-year-old spayed female Beagle was evaluated because of a 2-month history of intermittent pollakiuria, stranguria, dysuria, and abdominal pain. A diagnosis of bacterial cystitis was initially made, but clinical signs persisted despite appropriate antimicrobial treatment, so the dog was referred for further evaluation and treatment. CLINICAL FINDINGS Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a large, thin-walled, cystic structure in the urinary bladder at the level of the expected right ureterovesicular junction that communicated with the uniformly dilated right ureter. Severe right-sided pyelectasia was also detected. A presumptive diagnosis was made of a right-sided orthotopic ureterocele with secondary hydroureter and pyelectasia. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Cystoscopy revealed a large cystic structure in the region of the right ureterovesicular junction without obvious communication between the ureter and urinary bladder. Portable C-arm fluoroscopy was used to confirm the presence of an intramural orthotopic tract and to measure the diameter of the ureter and renal pelvis via retrograde contrast ureteropyelography. Complete laser ablation of the ureterocele was performed by incising it circumferentially near its base. Clinical signs resolved immediately following the procedure. Six weeks later, the dog remained free of clinical signs and abdominal ultrasonography revealed resolution of hydroureter with persistence of mild right-sided pyelectasia. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Cystoscopic-guided laser ablation of an orthotopic ureterocele secondary to ureterovesicular stenosis was a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for the dog of this report, resulting in immediate and continued improvement of clinical signs and ultrasonographic changes. Laser ablation should be considered as an alternative to surgery for the treatment of orthotopic ureteroceles in dogs.

Cholecystopexy and Pericardial Pseudocyst Removal in a Dog with a Congenital Peritoneopericardial Diaphragmatic Hernia.

A 4 mo old spayed female golden retriever was presented with a peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH) that was diagnosed during neutering. Echocardiography revealed a fluid-filled structure and parts of the liver in the pericardial cavity. Computed tomography confirmed the existence of the PPDH and the herniation of the right medial liver lobe and the gallbladder. Cystic masses were observed in the pericardial and the peritoneal cavities, possibly communicating through the PPDH. A median laparotomy revealed a single lobulated cystic lesion extending into both the pericardial and peritoneal cavities through the PPDH. Because of the nonviable aspect of some parts of the liver parenchyma, the gallbladder was dissected from the fossa, and the central division of the liver was resected. A cholecystopexy was performed on the diaphragm to limit gallbladder mobility. The PPDH was closed in the standard fashion. Histopathology of the cystic structure was compatible with a pericardial pseudocyst. Two months postoperatively, the dog was healthy, and the results of blood biochemistry and abdominal ultrasonography were normal. A pericardial pseudocyst can be associated with a PPDH in young dogs. Moreover, cholecystopexy appears to be a safe and effective method of limiting gallbladder mobility after resection of the central hepatic division.

Interobserver agreement and diagnostic accuracy of brain magnetic resonance imaging in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate interobserver agreement and diagnostic accuracy of brain MRI in dogs. DESIGN: Evaluation study. ANIMALS: 44 dogs. PROCEDURES: 5 board-certified veterinary radiologists with variable MRI experience interpreted transverse T2-weighted (T2w), T2w fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and T1-weighted-FLAIR; transverse, sagittal, and dorsal T2w; and T1-weighted-FLAIR postcontrast brain sequences (1.5 T). Several imaging parameters were scored, including the following: lesion (present or absent), lesion characteristics (axial localization, mass effect, edema, hemorrhage, and cavitation), contrast enhancement characteristics, and most likely diagnosis (normal, neoplastic, inflammatory, vascular, metabolic or toxic, or other). Magnetic resonance imaging diagnoses were determined initially without patient information and then repeated, providing history and signalment. For all cases and readers, MRI diagnoses were compared with final diagnoses established with results from histologic examination (when available) or with other pertinent clinical data (CSF analysis, clinical response to treatment, or MRI follow-up). Magnetic resonance scores were compared between examiners with κ statistics. RESULTS: Reading agreement was substantial to almost perfect (0.64 < κ < 0.86) when identifying a brain lesion on MRI; fair to moderate (0.14 < κ < 0.60) when interpreting hemorrhage, edema, and pattern of contrast enhancement; fair to substantial (0.22 < κ < 0.74) for dural tail sign and categorization of margins of enhancement; and moderate to substantial (0.40 < κ < 0.78) for axial localization, presence of mass effect, cavitation, intensity, and distribution of enhancement. Interobserver agreement was moderate to substantial for categories of diagnosis (0.56 < κ < 0.69), and agreement with the final diagnosis was substantial regardless of whether patient information was (0.65 < κ < 0.76) or was not (0.65 < κ < 0.68) provided. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The present study found that whereas some MRI features such as edema and hemorrhage were interpreted less consistently, radiologists were reasonably constant and accurate when providing diagnoses.

Effect of acquisition time and chemical fat suppression on meningeal enhancement on MR imaging in dogs.

Our purpose was to characterize meningeal gadolinium enhancement on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in dogs with inflammatory and neoplastic diseases, and to assess interobserver variability and the impact of delayed acquisition and chemical fat saturation on its conspicuity. Transverse T1-weighted FLAIR images were acquired prior to, and immediately following gadolinium injection (T0), and at 5 (T5) and 15-20 min delay (TD), with and without fat suppression, in 155 consecutive dogs imaged for suspected brain disease. The agreement on meningeal enhancement was globally substantial (kappa = 0.61) and the likelihood of obtaining a definite diagnosis was significantly increased with the use of fat suppression (P < or = 0.004). Meningeal enhancement was judged definitively present by consensus in 46 of 155 (30%) dogs. Of these, meningeal enhancement was characterized qualitatively and quantitatively in 30 dogs with a clinical diagnosis (18 inflammatory, 11 neoplastic, 1 infarct), and image sequences were compared. Meningeal enhancement was more often diffuse and leptomeningeal in animals with inflammation versus neoplasia (50% vs. 42%, and 69% vs. 48%, respectively), but significant associations were not found. Meningeal thickness and contrast ratio were higher with neoplasia (P < or = 0.02), but results did not vary significantly between series for either group. Yet, images with fat suppression were most useful 50% of the time for definite diagnosis and/or characterization of meningeal enhancement. While delayed image acquisition following gadolinium injection does not improve characterization of meningeal enhancement in dogs, fat suppression is beneficial qualitatively.

Clinical and computed tomography features of secondary renal hyperparathyroidism.

An atypical case of secondary renal hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed in a 9-year-old miniature schnauzer after a skull computed tomography (CT) showed the presence of 2 bilateral and symmetrical soft tissue maxillary masses, and osteopenia of the skull.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for treatment of splenic hemangiosarcoma in a dog.

OBJECTIVE: To report laparoscopic splenectomy in a dog. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical report. ANIMALS: Mixed breed dog (n=1). METHODS: Hemangiosarcoma was diagnosed by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of a splenic mass in an 11-year-old, 30 kg, mixed breed dog. No metastatic disease was identified during complete staging (chest radiographs, echocardiogram, and abdominal ultrasonography); however, cystic calculi were identified. Laparoscopic splenectomy using Ligasure V was performed through 3 portals and the calculi were removed by laparoscopic-assisted cystoscopy. RESULTS: Total surgical time was 2 hours and for laparoscopic splenectomy, 65 minutes. The celiotomy incision for splenic removal was 7 cm. The dog recovered uneventfully and was ambulatory 2 hours postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy with Ligasure V facilitated successful removal of a spleen with a 3 cm mass. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Laparoscopic splenectomy in dogs is feasible for removal of a normal-sized spleen with a moderate-sized mass.