Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with cancerous eye tumor in the choroid layer
By Lucyshyn, Danica R et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2021·Department of Veterinary Surgical and Radiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Choroidal neuroendocrine neoplasia in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7.5-year-old female spayed German shepherd mix was brought in for vision problems due to a mass in her right eye. After various tests, including imaging and blood work, the mass was found to be a neuroendocrine tumor that had spread to her eye. Unfortunately, despite extensive testing, the original source of the cancer was not discovered until 19 months later when she developed heart problems. The dog underwent surgery to remove the affected eye, but the underlying cancer was still a serious concern.
People also search for: dog eye problems · German shepherd cancer symptoms · dog heart disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report onset and progression of clinical signs of a neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) presumed metastatic to the choroid in a dog. ANIMALS STUDIED: A 7.5-year-old female spayed German shepherd dog mix referred for advanced imaging and evaluation of a subretinal mass in the right eye. PROCEDURES: Procedures performed included general physical and ophthalmic examinations; ocular, orbital, and abdominal ultrasonography; thoracic radiographs; cranial magnetic resonance imaging; serologic testing for infectious agents; analysis of hematologic as well as serum and urine biochemical parameters; echocardiography; electrocardiography; cytologic assessment of lymph nodes; and histopathology and immunohistochemistry of the enucleated globe. RESULTS: Examination and imaging identified a pigmented mass within and expanding the superior choroid. Following enucleation, a choroidal NEN with tumor emboli in scleral blood vessels was diagnosed by histopathologic assessment and confirmed by immunohistochemical labelling. Despite extensive and repeated diagnostic testing over many months, a putative primary site was not identified until 19 months after the initial ocular signs were noted. At that time, a heart-base mass and congestive heart failure were highly suggestive of a chemodectoma. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive report of a NEN presumed metastatic to the choroid in a dog suggests that ocular disease can be a very early and solitary sign of NEN in the dog.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33616294/