PetCaseFinder

Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

How well do dog uterine biopsies show cystic endometrial hyperplasia?

By Christensen, B W et al.·Published in Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Diagnostic value of transcervical endometrial biopsies in domestic dogs compared with full-thickness uterine sections.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of 20 female dogs underwent a procedure called transcervical endometrial biopsy to check for uterine health issues like cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) and inflammation. After the biopsies, the dogs had their uteri surgically removed for further examination. The results showed that the biopsy samples were just as effective as full-thickness sections of the uterus in identifying these conditions. However, pyometra, a serious infection of the uterus, was found in the full-thickness samples but not in the biopsy samples, suggesting that the biopsy might not detect this condition or could potentially cause it. Overall, the biopsy method proved to be a reliable diagnostic tool for uterine health in dogs.

People also search for: dog uterine health issues · cystic endometrial hyperplasia in dogs · transcervical endometrial biopsy for dogs

Abstract

Transcervical endometrial biopsy is a useful tool for obtaining information about uterine health in some species. The clinical application of information gained from histopathological interpretations of endometrial biopsies in the bitch has not been validated. We hypothesized that transcervical endometrial biopsy samples would be as diagnostic as full-thickness uterine sections in identifying cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH), inflammation and periglandular fibrosis. Endometrial biopsies were obtained from 20 female adult dogs. Vaginal swabs, gross appearance of the vulva and vaginal tract, and serum progesterone values were used to determine the stage of the oestrous cycle at the time of sampling. The uteri were removed between 1 and 6 days after the biopsy procedure, and full-thickness sections were collected from each uterine horn and ovary and processed for histopathology. Two pathologists, blinded to the origin of each sample, compared full-thickness sections from the excised uteri to the biopsy samples collected via the transcervical technique. Pathologic features noted included: CEH, inflammation and periglandular fibrosis. Pathological diagnoses obtained from the biopsy sections were compared with those obtained from the full-thickness sections, as well as comparing diagnoses between the two pathologists, using McNemar's test. Of the 59 total biopsy samples obtained, 54 were considered diagnostic. All stages of the canine oestrous cycle were represented (anoestrus, proestrus, oestrus and dioestrus). Pyometra was not noted in any of the transcervical biopsy sections, but was noted in many of the full-thickness sections collected from dogs in dioestrus, suggesting either that biopsy is not a sensitive indicator of pyometra or that the procedure may induce pyometra in dioestrous dogs. Transcervical endometrial biopsy showed similar sensitivity as full-thickness sections in detecting CEH, inflammation and fibrosis. No differences in describing lesions were detected between pathologists.

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/23279534/