Evaluation of leukocyte counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as predictors of local recurrence of feline injection site sarcoma after curative intent surgery.

Local recurrence (LR) is the major concern in the treatment of feline injection-site sarcoma (FISS). Pretreatment leukocyte counts and ratios have been reported as diagnostic and/or prognostic markers in human and canine oncology. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore the prognostic impact on LR and overall survival time (OST) of pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), white blood cell count (WBCC), neutrophil count (NC) and lymphocyte count (LC) in cats with surgically excised FISS. Eighty-two cats with histologically confirmed FISS at first presentation, without distant metastases, and with available pretreatment haematological analyses were retrospectively enrolled. The correlation of NLR, WBCC, NC, LC with tumour variables and patient variables was explored. NLR was correlated with tumour size (P = .004), histological pattern of tumour growth (P = .024) and histotype (P = .029), while WBCC and NC were associated with ulceration (P = .007, P = .011) and pattern of growth (P = .028, P = .004). No significant relationships emerged between LC and any of the considered variables. The impact of NLR, WBCC, NC, LC on LR and OST was then estimated in univariate and multivariate analysis. In univariate analysis, NLR, WBCC and NC were significant prognostic factors for both LR and OST. NLR, WBCC and NC remained prognostic in multivariate analysis for LR but not for OST. When NLR, WBCC and NC were jointly analysed, WBCC was the marker with the greater impact on LR. Preoperative NLR, WBCC and NC may aid in identifying cats at higher risk of LR.

Paranasal sinus cysts in the horse: Complications related to their presence and surgical treatment in 37 cases.

BACKGROUND: Paranasal sinus cysts (PSC) are a common cause of equine secondary sinusitis. The outcome and associated complications have not been frequently reported. OBJECTIVES: To review the associated clinical signs, associated morbidities and outcomes of horses treated for PSC. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multicentre case series. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of case records and telephone follow up survey. RESULTS: Subjects were 37 horses 1-24 years old that were presented with nasal discharge (n = 31), facial swelling (n = 25) and epiphora (n = 19). Radiography and computed tomography allowed identification of the cyst-induced changes including concomitant tissue destruction (n = 31), leading among other things to local nerve damage causing headshaking (n = 6) and unilateral blindness (n = 1). Radiographic changes to adjacent dental apices were present in 10 horses. Horses over 10 years old showed more of the named associated problems. Post-operative complications included surgical site infection (SSI) (n = 11), nasofrontal suture periostitis (n = 6) and sequestration (n = 1) following removal of the PSC via osteotomy. The long-term response to treatment was available for 28 cases with 22 horses (78.6%) fully cured, 4 (14.3%) partially cured and 2 (7.1%) not responding to treatment. In 7 horses (18.9%) there was recurrence of the cyst post-operatively. MAIN LIMITATIONS: Due to the study being a multicentre retrospective case series with collection of data over an extended period, there may be inconsistency in data recording and absence of reporting of some findings. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the diagnosis and treatment of sinus cysts is relatively straightforward and carries a good prognosis. In long-standing cases complications secondary to the expansive growth of cysts will dramatically affect the prognosis for full recovery due to pressure-induced changes to facial bones, cheek teeth and nerves. These secondary complications mainly occurring in older horses may be due to a combination of a relatively longer period of affection and the inflexibility of older horses' bones. Cyst recurrence following treatment can occur in up to 19% of cases.

Ovarian Embryonal Carcinoma in a Dog.

A 17-month-old female doberman pinscher was referred for an abdominal mass and ascites. Exploratory laparotomy revealed the presence of a large neoplastic mass replacing the right ovary and associated with multiple mesovarian, mesometrial and peritoneal nodules. An ovariohysterectomy was performed. Grossly, the tumour was soft and multilocular with large areas of haemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopically, it was infiltrative and composed of round and polygonal cells arranged respectively in solid sheets or forming distorted tubular structures separated by thick fibrovascular septae. Tubules contained necrotic debris, proteinaceous fluid or small endoluminal papillary structures. Marked cellular atypia, multiple neoplastic emboli and high mitotic count were observed. Immunohistochemically, the round cells uniformly expressed placental alkaline phosphatase, while the polygonal cells arranged in tubules and papillae expressed cytokeratin (CK) AE1/AE3 and CK7. A final diagnosis of metastasizing ovarian embryonal carcinoma (EC), a primitive germ cell tumour characterized by rudimentary epithelial differentiation was made. Canine ovarian EC should be considered as a differential diagnosis for undifferentiated aggressive ovarian tumours in young dogs.

Comparison of three novel biphasic scaffolds for one-stage treatment of osteochondral defects in a sheep model.

In the last years, several tissue engineering techniques have been applied to develop different kinds of osteochondral substitutes to overcome the scarce reparative properties of this tissue. The aim of this study was to generate and compare three biphasic scaffolds in an osteochondral lesion in a large-animal model. A critical osteochondral defect was generated in the medial femoral condyle of 18 skeletally mature sheep. Three defects were left untreated, the remaining lesions were divided into three groups: 5 lesions were treated with a biphasic scaffold made of collagen type I and small cylinders of Magnesium Hydroxyapatite; 5 lesions were treated with a biphasic substituted formed by collagen type I and Wollastonite, 5 lesions were treated with a scaffold made of collagen type I and small cylinders of Wollastonite/Hydroxyapatite. Animals were sacrificed after 3 months and samples were analyzed by CT and MRI, macroscopic evaluation and histology. Our study demonstrated that one of these novel biphasic scaffolds possesses the potential for being applied for one-stage procedures for osteochondral defects.

A rare case of pituitary chromophobe carcinoma in a dog: clinical, tomographic and histopathological findings.

A 9 year old male mixed-breed dog was presented for progressive aggressiveness towards the owner. The neurological evaluation was consistent with a forebrain syndrome. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed enlargement of the third ventricle and presence of a large spheroidal neoplasm in the sellar/parasellar region suggestive of a pituitary macroadenoma. On the owner request, the dog was euthanized. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of a pituitary chromophobe carcinoma. To the author's knowledge, pituitary carcinomas have been rarely described in dogs, especially the chromophobe subtype.

Correlation of radiographic measurements of structures of the equine foot with lesions detected on magnetic resonance imaging.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: There are few studies on the correlations between radiographic measurements of the foot and abnormalities of specific structures found with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). OBJECTIVES: To document the relationship between radiographic measurements of the equine foot and the presence of lesions in the foot on MRI. We hypothesised that different radiographic measurements would be associated with specific lesions detected by MRI. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of radiographs and MRI studies. METHODS: Seventy-four feet from 52 lame horses were included. Twenty parameters were measured on radiographs, whereas the signal intensity, homogeneity and size of each structure in the foot were evaluated on magnetic resonance images. The data were analysed using simple linear correlation analysis and classification and regression trees (CARTs). RESULTS: Linear correlations were found between the navicular bone compacta thickness and injuries of the deep digital flexor tendon, collateral sesamoidean ligament, navicular spongiosa and navicular bone proximal border. Long-toed horses had a high incidence of lesions involving the spongiosa and proximal border of the navicular bone. Elongation of the navicular bone was associated with proximal and distal border injuries. A reduced palmar angle and increased angle between the middle and distal phalanx were observed in horses with alterations of collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint and navicular bone spongiosa, respectively. For each structure under investigation, CARTs predicting the presence of MRI pathology based on radiographic measurements had excellent performance, with >80% correct classification of cases, when using one of 3 data sources. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a relationship between radiographic measurements of the foot and the presence of lesions detected on MRI, while CARTs illustrated that different radiographic measurements were associated with different MRI lesions.

Intradural-extramedullary haemangioblastoma with paraspinal extension in a dog.

CASE REPORT: An 8-year-old spayed female cross-breed dog was evaluated following a 2-month history of thoracic limb weakness. Neurological examination revealed a spinal cord lesion between C1 and C5 segments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that almost 70% of the spinal canal between C1 and C2 was occupied by an intradural extramedullary mass that was connected to a paraspinal mass from the cranial aspect of C2 to the cranial aspect of C3. The dog was anaesthetised and a dorsal, right-sided hemilaminectomy was performed. A durotomy was performed to expose a multilobular mass located principally along the right dorsal-lateral aspect of the spinal cord. The mass did not appear to infiltrate the cord parenchyma. The abnormal tissue was removed as completely as possible using gentle dissection and submitted for histological evaluation. The histological findings were consistent with an intradural-extramedullary haemangioblastoma with paraspinal extension. Following surgery, no neurological deterioration was detected. A metronomic-dosing chemotherapy protocol was administered to prevent progression or recurrence of the tumour. Follow-up MRI studies were performed 3, 6 and 12 months after the surgery, confirming complete tumour removal and the absence of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Haemangioblastoma is an extremely rare neoplasm in animals and only two cases of this tumour have been reported, but in other anatomical locations. Haemangioblastomas in human patients are more commonly located in the cerebellum and intradural-extramedullary growth is extremely rare. The dog in this study responded favourably to combined surgery and metronomic chemotherapy and was clinically normal 1 year after surgery.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of tramadol and main metabolites in horses undergoing orchiectomy.

BACKGROUND: Tramadol is a synthetic codeine analogue used as an analgesic in human and veterinary medicine. It is not approved for use in horses, but could represent a valid tool for pain treatment in this species. OBJECTIVES: The serum pharmacokinetic profile and urinary excretion of tramadol and its metabolites (O-desmethyltramadol [M1], N-desmethyltramadol [M2] and N,O-desmethyltramadol [M5]) was investigated in a multidrug anaesthetic and analgesic approach for orchiectomy in horses. The evaluation of the degree of cardiovascular stability, the intraoperative effect and postoperative analgesia obtained by the visual analogue scale are also reported. Animal and methods: Tramadol (4 mg/kg BW) was administered intravenously to eight male yearlings as a bolus over 60 seconds, 5 min after intubation and 15 min prior to surgery. Drug quantification was performed in serum and urine for tramadol, M1, M2 and M5 by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection. RESULTS: Mean tramadol concentration was 14.87 ± 11.14 µg/mL at 0.08 h, and 0.05 ± 0.06 µg/mL at 10 h. Serum concentrations of M1 and M2 metabolites were quite limited. For M1 and M2, median maximum concentration (Cmax) and time to achieve maximum concentration (Tmax) were 0.05 µg/mL and 0.75 h, and 0.08 µg/mL and 2 h, respectively; M5 was never detected. In urine, tramadol was the most recovered compound, followed by M1, M2 and M5. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Showing no adverse events and based on the kinetic behaviour, pre-operative tramadol IV at a dose of 4 mg/kg BW might be useful and safe as analgesic in horses undergoing surgery.

Contracted foal syndrome associated with multiple malformations in two foals.

Congenital anomalies in horses are very rare, and contracted foal syndrome is one of the most commonly reported. This malformation is characterized by contraction of the joints of the forelimbs and/or hindlimbs. In addition, the syndrome can be characterized by vertebral column malformations, such as scoliosis or torticollis, and cranial deformity. The present report describes the radiological and necroscopical findings of multiple rare malformations in two foals. Both foals showed skeletal abnormalities and fenestration of the abdominal cavity. Other pathological findings include a interventricular septal defect in one and a unilateral hydronephrosis and partial hydroureter in the other foal. Although in this report a specific aetiology could not be provided, insecticides treatment provided during the second month of pregnancy might play a role in the pathogenesis of these malformations.

Segmental spinal cord hypoplasia in a Holstein Friesian calf.

An 8-day-old female Holstein Friesian calf was examined because of congenital spastic paresis of the hind limbs. Myelography revealed deviation and thinning of subarachnoid contrast medium columns in the lumbar segment. Upon magnetic resonance imaging, the 'hour-glass' subdural compression appeared as a T1-hypointense, T2-hyperintense ovoidal area suggestive of cerebral spinal fluid collection, compatible with hydrosyringomyelia. The calf was euthanized and the necropsy confirmed the diagnosis of segmental spinal cord hypoplasia of the lumbar tract associated to hydromyelic and syringomyelic cavities.

Tenoscopy of the navicular bursa: a new therapeutic approach for horses affected by "palmar pain syndrome." Endoscopic technique review and personal experiences.

Tenoscopy of the navicular bursa has been recently introduced as a diagnostic and therapeutic treatment in cases of palmar foot pain syndrome. A deep digital flexor tendon transthecal approach was suggested in 1999, and the endoscopic technique has been reviewed. Smith and coworkers have recently reported good and promising results. An anatomic cadaver limb study was performed, and the endoscopic technique was evaluated. Subsequently, a 14-year-old Argentine mare, affected by palmar foot pain syndrome, was treated. Clinical data, MRI and endoscopic findings, and a 6-month follow-up evaluation are reported.