Chronic desmitis and enthesiophytosis of the radio-ulnar interosseous ligament in a dog.

A 10-year-old golden retriever dog was presented for chronic right forelimb lameness associated with a painful swelling at the lateral aspect of the proximal ulna. Proximal ulnar ostectomy and stabilization resulted in a good clinical outcome. The proposed diagnosis is chronic desmitis and enthesiophytosis of the radio-ulnar interosseous ligament.

Desmite chronique et enthésiophytose du ligament interosseux radio-ulnaire chez un chien. Un Golden retriever de 10 ans a été présenté pour boiterie chronique du membre thoracique droite associée à un gonflement douloureux à l'aspect latéral de l'ulna proximal. Une ostéotomie ulnaire proximale avec stabilisation ont permit un bon résultat clinique. Le diagnostic proposé est une desmite chronique et enthésiophytose du ligament interosseux radio-ulnaire.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Bilateral iliopsoas muscle contracture and spinous process impingement in a German Shepherd dog.

OBJECTIVE: To report diagnosis and treatment of bilateral iliopsoas muscle contracture in a dog with spinous process impingement. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. ANIMALS: German Shepherd dog. METHODS: A dog with chronic progressive lameness, flexion contracture of the coxofemoral joints, severe pain, and decreased femoral reflexes had severe spondylosis bridging the vertebral bodies from L1 to L4 and enlarged dorsal spinous processes from T8 to L6 with impingement and bony proliferation. Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were consistent with fibrosis, mineralization, and atrophy of the iliopsoas muscles bilaterally which was treated by staged tenectomy of the insertions of the iliopsoas muscles. RESULTS: Because of severe perivascular fibrosis, the femoral vessels required ligation. Bilateral iliopsoas muscle tenectomy improved gait and provided pain relief. Histologic findings were consistent with fibrotic myopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Slow progression of severe clinical signs observed bilaterally in this dog differs from previous reports of iliopsoas myopathy. Findings were similar to the fibrotic myopathy of the gracilis or semitendinosus muscles described in dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Iliopsoas muscle abnormalities should be considered in dogs with limited hip extension and pain. MRI is useful for diagnosing muscle fibrosis. Iliopsoas tenectomy may improve clinical function in dogs with fibrotic myopathy.

Osteocartilaginous metaplasia in the right atrial myocardium of healthy adult sheep.

Among 172 hearts from clinically normal adult sheep aged 1.5 to 7 years evaluated for the presence of cartilage and/or bone in the right atrial myocardium, 3.49% (6/172) had palpable evidence of osteocartilaginous foci. An additional 8% prevalence was estimated based on radiographs of hearts that contained < or =1 mm foci of nonpalpable, radiographically dense bone. Microscopically, the nodules in the atria were characterized by mature lamellar bone enclosing adipose tissue, with occasional new bone formation by endochondral ossification. No degenerative changes were evident in the affected atrial myocardium, suggesting that these lesions were clinically insignificant background changes.

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma associated with retained surgical sponge in a dog.

Retained surgical sponges are usually discovered in the abdominal cavity, sometimes years after the surgical procedure, and the typical reaction is formation of a foreign-body granuloma, often called gossypiboma or textiloma. In this instance, an extraskeletal osteosarcoma, associated with the granulomatous reaction to a retained surgical sponge adjacent to the stifle, was diagnosed in an 11-year-old Labrador Retriever 9 years after repair of a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament. Radiographic detection of linear foreign material in the soft tissue mass was the basis for a diagnosis of gossypiboma. The mass was surgically excised. Histologically, fibers consistent with those of cotton gauze were associated with the granulomatous inflammation and the osteosarcoma. Amputation or radiation therapy was declined; the dog was treated conservatively with doxycycline and deracoxib. Three months after surgical excision, the dog was euthanized because of local recurrence of the mass along with lameness and decreased appetite.

Spontaneous retrograde movement of ureteroliths in two dogs and five cats.

CASE DESCRIPTION: 2 dogs and 5 cats were evaluated for treatment of ureteroliths. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Spontaneous retrograde movement of 1 or more ureteroliths was detected by radiography, ultrasonography, fluoroscopy, and a combination of fluoroscopy and ultrasonography. The ureteroliths moved retrograde up to 4 centimeters. Retrograde movement of ureteroliths into the renal pelvis resulted in improved renal function in some patients but made complete surgical removal of all uroliths more difficult. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Medical management was not successful, and ureteroliths were surgically removed. Surgical management of ureteroliths was complicated by retrograde movement of ureteroliths in the perioperative period. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ureteroliths can move retrograde within the ureter and even back into the renal pelvis. Retrograde movement of ureteroliths may make surgical planning more difficult.

Secretion of sex hormones in dogs with adrenal dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate adrenal sex hormone concentrations in response to ACTH stimulation in healthy dogs, dogs with adrenal tumors, and dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH). DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 11 healthy control dogs, 9 dogs with adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (adenocarcinoma [ACA] or other tumor); 11 dogs with PDH, and 6 dogs with noncortisol-secreting adrenal tumors (ATs). PROCEDURE: Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs; physical examination findings; and results of ACTH stimulation test, low-dose dexamethasone suppression test, or both. Dogs with noncortisol-secreting ATs did not have hyperadrenocorticism but had ultrasonographic evidence of an AT. Concentrations of cortisol, androstenedione, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone were measured before and 1 hour after i.m. administration of 0.25 mg of synthetic ACTH. RESULTS: All dogs with ACA, 10 dogs with PDH, and 4 dogs with ATs had 1 or more sex hormone concentrations greater than the reference range after ACTH stimulation. The absolute difference for progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and testosterone concentrations (value obtained after ACTH administration minus value obtained before ACTH administration) was significantly greater for dogs with ACA, compared with the other 3 groups. The absolute difference for androstenedione was significantly greater for dogs with ACA, compared with dogs with AT and healthy control dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dogs with ACA secrete increased concentrations of adrenal sex hormones, compared with dogs with PDH, noncortisol-secreting ATs, and healthy dogs. Dogs with noncortisol-secreting ATs also have increased concentrations of sex hormones. There is great interdog variability in sex hormone concentrations in dogs with ACA after stimulation with ACTH.

Surgical management of a ureteral defect with ureterorrhaphy and of ureteritis with ureteroneocystostomy in a foal.

A 2-day-old male foal developed uroperitoneum. Initial exploration of the abdomen via ventral midline celiotomy failed to localize the source of uroperitoneum. Bilateral nephropyelocentesis and antegrade urography were performed, and a defect in the right ureter and stenosis of the left ureter were identified. With the foal in dorsal recumbency in the Trendelenburg position, ureterorrhaphy was performed on the right ureter. After ureterorrhaphy, a ureteral catheter was maintained as a stent. The stenotic left ureter was transected, and ureteroneocystostomy was performed using a drop-in mucosal apposition technique. The ureteral catheter was removed 26 days after surgery. Histopathologic findings suggested that ureteritis of unknown origin was a possible initiating factor for stenosis of the left ureter. The drop-in technique for ureteroneocystostomy may be used successfully for ureteral transposition in horses. Ureterorrhaphy combined with the use of a ureteral stent may be used to repair ureteral defects in foals.

Spontaneous femoral capital physeal fractures in adult cats: 26 cases (1996-2001).

OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical, radiographic, and histologic abnormalities in adult cats > 1 year old with spontaneous (ie, nontraumatic) femoral capital physeal fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 26 cats. PROCEDURE: Medical records of cats > 1 year old with femoral capital physeal fractures and no history of trauma were examined. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD age of the cats was 22.5 +/- 6.5 months. Twenty-five cats were neutered males. Mean weight of the cats was significantly greater than mean weight of a group of age- and sex-matched control cats. Of 16 cats for which age at the time of neutering was known, 14 had been neutered before 6 months of age. Nine cats had bilateral fractures. Severity of femoral neck osteolysis and sclerosis increased with increased duration of clinical signs. The contralateral femoral capital physis, distal femoral physes, and proximal tibial physes were radiographically open in 13 of 18,19 of 24, and 24 of 24 cats, respectively. Histologically, the epiphysis contained normal articular cartilage and bone, but attached growth plate cartilage lacked the normal columnar arrangement of chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that adult cats with spontaneous femoral capital physeal fractures were most likely to be heavier, neutered males with delayed physeal closure.

Surgical management of compound odontoma in two horses.

Two horses were admitted for evaluation of mandibular swelling (horse 1) or maxillary distortion (horse 2). Both horses had radiographic evidence of tumors of dental origin that had the appearance of a compound odontoma. Extensive surgical resection was performed for treatment. Horse 1 was treated with 1-stage surgical resection, but an iatrogenic fracture occurred during surgery, which was managed successfully with a type I external fixator and extraoral alimentation. Horse 2 was treated in multiple stages to remove all portions of the tumor. To manage an extensive orosinal fistula, a custom-designed dental bridge was constructed to occlude the fistula. For both horses, the histopathologic diagnosis was compound odontoma. Compound odontomas are benign, locally expansive tumors of dental origin. Compound odontomas can be treated successfully; however, multiple surgeries may be necessary.

Songbirds tune their vocal tract to the fundamental frequency of their song.

In human speech, the sound generated by the larynx is modified by articulatory movements of the upper vocal tract, which acts as a variable resonant filter concentrating energy near particular frequencies, or formants, essential in speech recognition. Despite its potential importance in vocal communication, little is known about the presence of tunable vocal tract filters in other vertebrates. The tonal quality of much birdsong, in which upper harmonics have relatively little energy, depends on filtering of the vocal source, but the nature of this filter is controversial. Current hypotheses treat the songbird vocal tract as a rigid tube with a resonance that is modulated by the end-correction of a variable beak opening. Through x-ray cinematography of singing birds, we show that birdsong is accompanied by cyclical movements of the hyoid skeleton and changes in the diameter of the cranial end of the esophagus that maintain an inverse relationship between the volume of the oropharyngeal cavity and esophagus and the song's fundamental frequency. A computational acoustic model indicates that this song-related motor pattern tunes the major resonance of the oropharyngeal-esophageal cavity to actively track the song's fundamental frequency.

Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and pulmonary emphysema in a young schipperke.

A 4-month-old, intact female schipperke was presented for evaluation and treatment of subcutaneous (SC) emphysema. Radiographs revealed pneumomediastinum and SC emphysema. Sequential radiographs confirmed a worsening of the SC emphysema. Extensive, nonsurgical evaluation failed to reveal the source of the air within the mediastinum. Exploratory thoracotomy revealed an emphysematous right middle lung lobe. Lobectomy of the right middle lung lobe resolved both the pneumomediastinum and SC emphysema. Histopathological evaluation confirmed pulmonary emphysema. A variation of congenital pulmonary emphysema was considered in this case.

Cerebrospinal fluid response following metrizamide myelography in normal dogs: effects of routine myelography and postmyelographic removal of contrast medium.

The effect of metrizamide myelography on 90-minute postmyelographic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples was evaluated in a paired crossover study in 16 normal dogs. Each dog received a routine cervical myelogram (nonwithdrawal myelography) and a myelogram followed by contrast medium removal via aspiration from the subarachnoid space (withdrawal myelogram). Following nonwithdrawal myelography, the CSF was characterized by mild inflammation with a mixed pleocytosis and increased protein concentration. Compared with the nonwithdrawal CSF samples, the postmyelographic CSF of the withdrawal dogs had a more severe inflammatory response with significant increases (p < 0.05) in absolute numbers of neutrophils, monocytoid cells, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and protein concentration. The withdrawal procedure may have contributed an additional mechanical effect on the leptomeninges producing the more severe inflammatory response in the withdrawal dogs. Although seizure data are not reported here, postmyelographic seizures were more frequent following non-withdrawal myelography as compared with withdrawal myelography (p < 0.05), suggesting a decrease in metrizamide-induced neurotoxicity for the withdrawal dogs.