Intra-articular Fibrolipoma of the Stifle in a Dog.

A 12 yr old male castrated miniature Australian shepherd dog presented for surgical consultation of historical bilateral medial patellar luxations with a 3 mo history of an acute onset of a left pelvic limb lameness. Physical examination confirmed medial patellar luxations and a mass effect of the left stifle medially. Radiographs showed medial distension of the joint capsule by a soft tissue opacity. Fine-needle aspirate of the left stifle revealed a mesenchymal cell population. Left medial parapatellar stifle arthrotomy found a fatty mass, which was excised at its base. A benign fibrolipoma was diagnosed on histopathology, and the excision was expected to be curative. The owners reported immediate improvement of perceived comfort postoperatively. At 2 and 24 wk, the dog returned to a normal level of function. Lipomas of the stifle, although rare, should be considered as a differential for intra-articular masses causing lameness.

Effect of insufflation pressure during transanal minimally invasive surgery on surgical complications with dissection of the rectal submucosa in canine cadavers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine ideal insufflation pressures during transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) in canine cadavers for rectal submucosal transection and incisional closure. ANIMALS: 16 canine cadavers. PROCEDURES: Cadavers were placed in lateral recumbency. Urinary catheters were placed to measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). A single access port was placed to establish a pneumorectum. Cadavers were placed in insufflation groups of 6 mmHg to 8 mmHg (group 1), 10 mmHg to 12 mmHg (group 2), or 14 mmHg to 16 mmHg (group 3). Defects in the rectal submucosa were created and closed with a unidirectional barbed suture. Duration for each procedure and subjective ease of identifying the transection plane and performing incisional closure were assessed. RESULTS: The single access port was successfully placed in dogs weighing 22.7 kg to 48 kg. The ease of each step of the procedure was not influenced by the insufflation pressure. The median surgical duration for group 1 was 740 seconds (range = 564 to 951 seconds), 879 seconds (range = 678 to 991 seconds) for group 2, and 749 seconds (range = 630 to 1,244 seconds) for group 3 (P = .650). The insufflation pressure increased the IAP (P = .007). Perforation of the rectum happened in 2 cadavers in group 3. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The duration of each step of the procedure was not significantly influenced by insufflation pressure. Defining the dissection plane and performing resection was more challenging in the highest-pressure group. Rectal perforation occurred only with the 14 mmHg to 16 mmHg insufflation pressure. Single access port usage with TAMIS may provide a readily available, minimally invasive approach for the resection of rectal tumors in dogs.

Risk factors and outcome in dogs with recurrent massive hepatocellular carcinoma: A Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology case-control study.

Local recurrence after surgical excision of canine massive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been poorly studied in veterinary medicine with scant information published regarding risk factors for and outcome following recurrence. The aim of this case-control study was to describe the time to recurrence, evaluate potential risk factors for recurrence, and report the outcome in dogs with massive HCC. Medical records for 75 dogs who developed recurrence and 113 dogs who did not develop recurrence were reviewed. Statistical analyses were performed to determine risk factors for recurrence as well as the median time to develop recurrence and overall survival time (OS). None of the risk factors evaluated were significant for the development of recurrence. The median time to develop recurrence was 367 days (range 32-2096 days). There was no significant difference in median OS for dogs who developed recurrence vs. those who did not (851 vs. 970 days). For dogs with recurrent HCC, treatment at recurrence trended toward prolonged OS but was not significantly different from dogs not undergoing treatment at recurrence. There was no significant difference in median OS for dogs with histologically complete vs. incomplete tumour excision (990 vs. 903 days). Although specific risk factors for recurrence were not identified, elevations in liver values were noted in patients with recurrent disease and could act as a noninvasive surveillance tool. Recurrence was noted earlier in dogs who had routine post-operative surveillance (228 vs. 367 days). Routine surveillance for recurrence is recommended especially in dogs where further intervention is possible and should extend beyond 1 year. Patients with massive HCC have a good long-term prognosis regardless of incomplete excision, pulmonary metastasis, or recurrent local disease.

Feline cutaneous lymphoma: an evaluation of disease presentation and factors affecting response to treatment.

OBJECTIVES: The primary goal of this study was to characterize the clinical presentation of feline cutaneous lymphoma. The secondary aims included determining if treatment or initial response to treatment affected the overall survival of patients, and understanding if disease characteristics such as immunophenotype, cell size or the presence of epitheliotropism influenced response to treatment. METHODS: Veterinary medical oncologists at four academic veterinary teaching hospitals submitted cases of feline patients with cutaneous lymphoma diagnosed by histopathology or cytology. Signalment, feline leukemia virus (FeLV)/feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) status, physical examination findings, clinical signs, diagnostic tests, therapy, response and outcome, and necropsy findings, when available, were recorded. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were identified and described. The majority of patients were domestic shorthair cats (n = 29). The median age at diagnosis was 12.3 years. Males were over-represented in the population (n = 30). In the majority of patients (n = 33), the FIV/FeLV status was unknown. Twenty patients were fully staged. Thirty-four patients were treated with a variety of modalities, including surgery, radiation, single-agent or combination chemotherapy, or prednisolone only. In multiple patients, surgery or radiation was combined with a systemic therapy. Of 34 patients treated with some form of therapy, 20 responded (achieving either a partial response or complete remission). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Clinical signs and physical examination findings varied among patients. Response to therapy appeared to be associated with survival (P = 0.0025); however, this population was highly censored. Immunophenotype, cell size and the presence of epitheliotropism did not influence treatment response. Results were limited by small numbers of patients, heterogeneous disease manifestations and treatment protocols. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the effect of specific treatment modalities and disease subtype on prognosis.