Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bone marrow issues in 4 dogs and 1 cat with hemophagocytic syndrome
By Walton, R M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·1996·Department of Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Bone marrow cytological findings in 4 dogs and a cat with hemophagocytic syndrome.
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male Labrador was diagnosed with hemophagocytic syndrome after a bone marrow test showed abnormal findings. This condition can cause low blood cell counts and was linked to infections in this dog, including parvovirus and Salmonella. Other dogs in the study had similar issues, with some having different underlying diseases. Unfortunately, one dog died without a clear diagnosis, while the cat involved had liver disease and signs of a viral infection. The study highlights the importance of checking bone marrow in pets showing signs of low blood cell counts to help identify this serious condition.
People also search for: dog low blood cell count · Labrador hemophagocytic syndrome · cat liver disease symptoms · dog parvovirus treatment · dog Salmonella infection signs
Abstract
Hemophagocytic syndrome or hemophagic histiocytosis was diagnosed in 4 dogs and 1 cat by evaluation of bone marrow aspirate smears. One of the dogs had a suspected infection with canine parvovirus and a confirmed infection with Salmonella spp, 2 dogs had presumptive diagnoses of myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disease, respectively, and 1 dog died without a diagnosis. The cat had hepatic lipidosis and lesions compatible with feline calicivirus infection. All animals had cytopenias involving 2 or more cell lines, and fragmented erythrocytes in the blood, along with mild to moderate increases in the number of macrophages in the bone marrow. Numerous marrow macrophages contained phagocytized hematopoietic cells. Other cytological features of the bone marrow were variable in each patient, but the degree of response in the blood was inadequate, even in those with bone marrow hyperplasia. The phagocytosis of hematopoietic elements did not appear to be caused by a primary immune disorder, but rather by the inappropriate activation of normal macrophages secondary to infectious, neoplastic, or metabolic diseases. These findings suggest that hemophagocytic syndrome may be an important factor in the development of cytopenias; the data also support the cytological evaluation of bone marrow aspirates as an aid in the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8965270/