Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood test ratios that help diagnose nasal diseases in dogs
By Rösch, Sarah et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2024·Small Animal Department, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic benefits of platelet-to-lymphocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, and albumin-to-globulin ratios in dogs with nasal cavity diseases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with chronic nasal discharge were evaluated for possible nasal cavity diseases, including tumors. Researchers found that while most blood tests showed only slight changes, certain blood ratios could help differentiate between benign and malignant conditions. Specifically, a higher platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was linked to malignant tumors, while other ratios like the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) showed mild changes across all nasal diseases. This information can help veterinarians better diagnose nasal issues in dogs based on blood tests.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: A multimodal approach for diagnostic tests under anesthesia is required to diagnose nasal cavity pathology (NP) reliably in dogs. Blood test results may provide clues to the suspected NP. METHODS: This prospective blinded study assessed 72 dogs with chronic nasal discharge due to NPs, and 10 healthy dogs as the control group (CG). NPs were diagnosed using whole-body computed tomography (CT), upper airway endoscopy, examination of nasal mucosal swabs by bacterial and fungal culture, and histopathological examination of nasal mucosa biopsies. The exclusion criteria were the presence of any additional diseases or corticosteroid pre-treatment. In consideration of these exclusion criteria, 55 dogs entered the study. Dogs were classified into benign (benign tumors, idiopathic rhinitis (IR), and others) and malignant (carcinomas and sarcomas) NP groups. Blood count and blood chemistry tests were performed. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) were calculated and compared. RESULTS: 25 dogs with malignant NP (13 and 12 with carcinomas and sarcomas, respectively) and 30 dogs with benign NP (seven with benign tumors,13 with IR, and 10 others) were included. In general, in dogs with NP there were only slight abnormalities in complete blood count. However, PLR was significantly higher in dogs with malignant NP (carcinoma and sarcoma) than in those with benign NP and in the CG. Compared with the CG, the NLR was significantly increased in all dogs with NP, and the AGR was mild but significantly lower, except in dogs with sarcomas and benign tumors. CONCLUSIONS: In dogs with nasal disease alone, there are usually no marked abnormalities in blood count. However, while mildly increased NLR and decreased AGR can be observed in almost all NPs, an increased PLR may indicate a malignant NP and can be used as an additional screening tool in dogs with nasal discharge due to nasal cavity pathology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38310231/