Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How CT scans help tell cancer from inflammation in dog chest fluid
By Watton, Thom C et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2017·Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Can malignant and inflammatory pleural effusions in dogs be distinguished using computed tomography?
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with fluid in their chest (pleural effusion) underwent a CT scan to determine if the fluid was due to cancer or inflammation. The study found that older dogs with malignant pleural effusion often showed significant thickening of the pleura (the lining of the chest) and signs of invasion into the chest wall, which were not present in dogs with inflammatory pleuritis. While there were similarities in some CT findings, these specific signs can help veterinarians decide on further testing. Identifying the cause of pleural effusion is crucial for determining the right treatment.
People also search for: dog pleural effusion symptoms · CT scan for dog chest fluid · dog cancer diagnosis signs
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) is the primary imaging modality used to investigate human patients with suspected malignant or inflammatory pleural effusion, but there is a lack of information about the clinical use of this test in dogs. To identify CT signs that could be used to distinguish pleural malignant neoplasia from pleuritis, a retrospective case-control study was done based on dogs that had pleural effusion, pre- and postcontrast thoracic CT images, and cytological or histopathological diagnosis of malignant or inflammatory pleural effusion. There were 20 dogs with malignant pleural effusion (13 mesothelioma, 6 carcinoma; 1 lymphoma), and 32 dogs with pleuritis (18 pyothorax; 14 chylothorax). Compared to dogs with pleuritis, dogs with malignant pleural effusions were significantly older (median 8.5 years vs. 4.9 years, P = 0.001), more frequently had CT signs of pleural thickening (75% vs.44%, P = 0.04), tended to have thickening of the parietal pleura only (65% vs. 13%, P = 0.01) and had more marked pleural thickening (median 3 mm vs. 0 mm, P = 0.01). Computed tomography signs of thoracic wall invasion were observed only in dogs with malignant pleural effusions (P = 0.05). There were no significant differences in pleural fluid volume, distribution or attenuation, degree of pleural contrast accumulation, amount of pannus, or prevalence of mediastinal adenopathy. Although there was considerable overlap in findings in dogs with malignant pleural effusion and pleuritis, marked thickening affecting the parietal pleural alone and signs of thoracic wall invasion on CT support diagnosis of pleural malignant neoplasia, and may help prioritize further diagnostic testing.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28714265/