Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with brain symptoms caused by heart tumor spreading to brain
By Bunn, T A et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2021·School of Veterinary Medicine, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A neurological presentation caused by brain metastases in a dog with interventricular septal hemangiosarcoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male Australian Shepherd was brought in because he had been circling to the left for three days and seemed confused. The vet found that he had some neurological issues, weak heart sounds, and signs of a serious heart condition. Tests revealed a large mass in his heart and brain metastases (cancer spread), along with other affected organs. Unfortunately, due to the poor prognosis, the owners chose to euthanize him. This case highlights the importance of checking for heart tumors in dogs, even when they are not in the usual location.
People also search for: dog circling behavior · Australian Shepherd brain cancer · heart tumor in dogs · dog euthanasia decision · hemangiosarcoma symptoms in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Brain metastases are well known for disseminated hemangiosarcoma involving the right atrium/auricle. CASE REPORT: An 8-year-old male Australian Shepherd Dog presented with a 3-day history of circling to the left. A neurological examination revealed obtunded mentation, right hemi-inattention, bilateral strabismus towards the left side and absent physiological nystagmus. In addition, the dog had muffled heart sounds on auscultation and exercise-induced weakness. Laboratory findings included hypercoagulability and marked elevation in the C-reactive protein concentration. Electrocardiography detected a sinus rhythm with right bundle-branch block and ventricular bigeminy. Echocardiography revealed an extensive interventricular septal mass. Due to the grave prognosis, the owners elected for euthanasia, and a complete necropsy was performed. The main pathological findings were an interventricular septal and left ventricular hemangiosarcoma, with metastases in the brain, lungs, spleen and adrenal glands. No evidence of tumour infiltration was found in the right atrium. CONCLUSION: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of neurological signs due to confirmed brain metastases in a dog with interventricular septal hemangiosarcoma. Although the right atrium is the main location for cardiac hemangiosarcoma, the interventricular septum should be evaluated in all cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33442884/