Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound-guided needle biopsy safely diagnoses heart tumors in dogs
By Pedro, Brigite et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2016·University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cytological diagnosis of cardiac masses with ultrasound guided fine needle aspirates.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Six dogs with heart masses underwent a procedure called fine needle aspiration (FNA) using ultrasound guidance to help diagnose their conditions. The dogs were either under general anesthesia or sedation during the process, which had only minor complications, like a small amount of fluid around the heart in one case. The tests revealed various issues, including inflammation and different types of tumors like hemangiosarcoma and sarcoma. This diagnosis helped the veterinarians decide on the best treatment options for each dog.
People also search for: dog heart mass diagnosis · fine needle aspiration for dog tumors · dog hemangiosarcoma treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiac masses are uncommon in the canine population. When present, an attempt should be made to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Our goal with this case series was to report that as long as anatomic location permits, obtaining fine needle aspirates (FNAs) for cytological evaluation is practical, safe, and may provide a definitive diagnosis. METHODS: Our database has been retrospectively searched for cases where FNA of cardiac masses have been performed. RESULTS: A total of six cases were retrieved. Four dogs were under general anaesthesia and two were sedated. Ultrasound guided transthoracic FNAs were obtained in all cases with only minor complications: mild self-limiting pericardial effusion (n = 1) and one ventricular ectopic complex (n = 1). All dogs were closely monitored during the procedure (pulse oximetry, electrocardiography and blood pressure). A diagnosis was obtained in all cases: inflammation (n = 1), haemangiosarcoma (n = 2), sarcoma (n = 2) and chemodectoma (n = 1). CONCLUSION: A cytological diagnosis allows clinicians to make appropriate clinical decisions, has dramatic impact on treatment recommendations and gives information about prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26683157/