Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diffuse lung cancer causing breathing trouble in a German wirehaired
By Bertazzolo, W et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2002·Pronto Soccorso Veterinario, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diffuse bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female German wirehaired pointer was brought to the vet because she was having trouble breathing. After various tests, including X-rays and a lung biopsy, the vet discovered she had a type of lung cancer called bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma, which was affecting most of her lungs. Unfortunately, this type of cancer can be difficult to diagnose because it mimics other lung diseases. The case highlights the importance of considering this rare cancer in dogs showing respiratory distress.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · lung cancer in dogs · German wirehaired pointer respiratory distress
Abstract
An eight-year-old female German wirehaired pointer was presented with signs of respiratory distress. Clinical examination, laboratory results, thoracic radiography and echocardiography indicated the presence of a diffuse interstitial lung disease with secondary appropriate erythrocytosis, pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. Transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lung suggested malignant epithelial neoplasia. A primary lung cancer with an unusually diffuse distribution of miliary/micronodular lesions was found at postmortem examination. Histological diagnosis was bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma. Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma can occasionally occur in a diffuse fashion involving most or all of the lung parenchyma. In man, diffuse bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma is considered a great imitator of other, more common diffuse interstitial forms of lung disease. This case report indicates that it is also a differential diagnosis to consider in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12074292/