Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Idiopathic lymph node inflammation in English springer spaniels
By Dor, C et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2019·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Characterisation and outcome of idiopathic pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis in 64 English springer spaniel dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old neutered female English Springer Spaniel was brought in with a fever, swollen lymph nodes, skin lesions, and lethargy. After various tests ruled out infections, the vet diagnosed her with idiopathic pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis, a condition where the immune system causes inflammation in the lymph nodes. She was treated with prednisolone, a type of steroid, for about 15 weeks, and showed a good response to the treatment. However, some dogs may relapse after stopping the medication, so ongoing monitoring is important.
People also search for: English Springer Spaniel swollen lymph nodes · dog fever and lethargy · idiopathic lymphadenitis treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe the history, clinicopathological abnormalities, diagnostic imaging findings, lymph node cytological/histological appearance, treatment and outcome of English springer spaniels diagnosed with idiopathic pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective UK-based multicentre study, 64 dogs were recruited from 10 referral centres, 32 first-opinion practices and three histopathology/cytology laboratories, between 2010 and 2016. RESULTS: The median age at presentation was 6 years (range: 0.17 to 11.75). Neutered females were frequently affected. Pyrexia (83.8%), peripheral lymphadenomegaly (78.4%), dermatological lesions (72.9%), lethargy (67.6%), hyporexia (54%), diarrhoea (29.7%), coughing (24.3%), epistaxis, sneezing or nasal discharge (21.6%), ocular signs (21.6%) and vomiting (16.2%) were reported in dogs for which the history and physical examination records were available. Popliteal (45.3%), superficial cervical (35.9%) and submandibular (37.5%) lymphadenomegaly were frequently reported. Haematology and serum biochemistry revealed non-specific changes. When undertaken, testing for infectious diseases was negative in all cases. Lymph node cytology, histopathology or both demonstrated mixed inflammatory (27%), pyogranulomatous (24%), neutrophilic (20%) or granulomatous (11%) lymphadenitis. Treatment details were available for 38 dogs, with 34 receiving prednisolone for a median duration of 15 weeks (range: 1 to 28 weeks). A good to excellent clinical response was reported in all but one case. Ten dogs relapsed after discontinuing prednisolone. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Idiopathic pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy and pyrexia in English springer spaniels. The characteristics of the disease, absence of identifiable infectious aetiology and response to glucocorticoid therapy suggest an immune-mediated aetiology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31317549/