Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How useful are liver biopsies during dog splenectomy for cancer
By Clarke, E et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2020·Louisiana State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical utility of liver biopsies in dogs undergoing splenectomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a splenic mass underwent surgery to remove the spleen, and during the procedure, a liver biopsy was taken. The results showed that while most dogs with a normal-looking liver had no cancer, those with an abnormal liver had a significantly higher chance of having liver cancer. In fact, about 29% of dogs with an abnormal liver were found to have liver cancer. This suggests that if a dog's liver looks abnormal during surgery, a biopsy is a good idea to check for cancer.
People also search for: dog splenic mass surgery · liver biopsy results in dogs · dog cancer diagnosis after splenectomy
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of neoplasia detected on liver biopsy obtained at the time of splenectomy in dogs with splenic masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of medical records of dogs with splenic masses from which liver biopsies were taken following splenectomy. RESULTS: Malignant splenic neoplasia was detected in 50 of 113 (44.2%) of the dogs undergoing splenectomy. Neoplastic liver disease was detected on biopsy from 1 of 40 (2.5%) dogs with a grossly normal liver and from 20 of 69 (28.9%) dogs with a grossly abnormal liver. Dogs with a grossly abnormal liver had a ~ 16 times (95% CI: 2.5-170) higher chance of being diagnosed with liver neoplasia on biopsy. Haemoabdomen was also associated with an increased likelihood of liver neoplasia on biopsy at the time of splenectomy. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A liver biopsy taken from grossly normal liver is a low-yield diagnostic test but liver biopsy is recommended following splenectomy if the liver appears abnormal at surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33035380/