Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Liver neuroendocrine cancer in dogs causing vomiting and weight loss
By Patnaik, A K et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2005·Department of Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: an immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Labrador retriever was brought in for symptoms including vomiting, lack of appetite, and lethargy. Tests revealed high liver enzyme levels and jaundice, indicating liver issues. The dog was diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. Treatment options were explored, and while the study focused on diagnostic methods, early detection is crucial for better outcomes. Unfortunately, the prognosis for this type of cancer can be poor, and ongoing veterinary care is essential for managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
People also search for: dog liver cancer symptoms · Labrador vomiting and lethargy · neuroendocrine carcinoma treatment in dogs
Abstract
Ten dogs with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver were selected for inclusion in the study. Clinical signs were anorexia (7), vomiting (5), polydipsia/polyuria (3), icterus (2), lethargy (2), weight loss (2), paresis (1), ataxia (1), weakness (1), collapse (1), and urinary tract infection (1). Hematologic and biochemical abnormalities included anemia (2/8), leukocytosis (4/8), high liver enzyme activity (serum alkaline phosphatase, 7/9; alanine transaminase, 7/9; aspartate transaminase, 8/9), and high total bilirubin (6/9). Grossly, the tumors were diffuse, involving all liver lobes in six dogs, and two dogs had various-sized nodules in addition to diffuse involvement. Histologically, there were eight tumors with solid or trabecular pattern (group A), one tumor with cords or rows of neoplastic cells (group B), and one tumor with multiple rosette-like structures (group C). Immunohistochemical studies revealed that all 10 neoplasms were positive for at least one of the endocrine markers used: neuron-specific enolase (NSE; 8/10), synaptophysin (5/10), and chromogranin-A (3/10). A panel of NSE, chromagranin-A, and synaptophysin detected 100% of the tumors in our series. Electron microscopy confirmed the diagnosis by the presence of intracytoplasmic neurosecretory granules in the two examined cases. Our results show that neuroendocrine markers commonly used in humans can be used for the diagnosis of hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in dogs, preferably a panel of synaptophysin, chromagranin-A, and NSE because chromogranin-A alone is not as useful in dogs as in humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15753467/