Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Brain tumor causing tremors and circling in a Maltese dog seen
By Kang, Byeong-Teck et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2009·BK21 Program of Basic and Diagnostic Veterinary Specialist Program for Animal Diseases and Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings of primary intracranial histiocytic sarcoma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old neutered male Maltese was brought in with a three-week history of intention tremors, rigidity in the right hind leg, poor coordination, and occasional circling to the left. An MRI of his brain revealed a mass in the right occipital lobe and cerebellum, and a follow-up PET scan showed increased activity in the same areas, confirming the presence of a primary brain tumor called histiocytic sarcoma. This case highlights the use of advanced imaging techniques to diagnose brain tumors in dogs. Unfortunately, the prognosis for this type of tumor can be poor, and treatment options may be limited.
People also search for: dog brain tumor symptoms · Maltese intention tremor treatment · dog MRI brain tumor findings
Abstract
A 10-year-old, neutered male, Maltese dog presented with a three week history of intention tremor, right hind limb rigidity, poor coordination, and occasional circling to the left. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, a mass was identified in the right occipital lobe and cerebellum. Three weeks after the initial MRI scan, we performed an (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) of the brain. The FDG-PET demonstrated areas of hypermetabolism in the right occipital lobe, cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata. When the standardized uptake value was calculated, the hypermetabolic lesion was higher than the gray matter values. The anatomical location of the hypermetabolic lesion was more precisely identified by the PET-MRI fusion images. The dog was definitively diagnosed as a primary histiocytic sarcoma of the brain. This is the first report of PET findings of an intracranial histiocytic sarcoma in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19887750/