Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with liver tissue inside chest and missing lung lobe
By Lande, Rachel et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2015·From the PetPB Pet Emergency Clinic·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ectopic Intrathoracic Hepatic Tissue and Accessory Lung Lobe Aplasia in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old male Yorkshire Terrier was brought in for a persistent cough and trouble breathing that had been getting worse over about six years. X-rays showed a mass in his chest, and an ultrasound suggested it was liver tissue. During surgery, the vet found abnormal lung tissue instead of a hernia and removed the affected lobe. The mass was confirmed to be ectopic liver tissue, which is quite rare. After the surgery, the dog’s breathing improved significantly.
People also search for: dog cough and breathing problems · Yorkshire Terrier lung mass · ectopic liver tissue in dogs
Abstract
A 6 yr old male Yorkshire terrier was presented for an ~6 yr history of progressive cough and dyspnea. Thoracic radiographs revealed a 6 cm diameter mass within the right caudal thorax. Thoracic ultrasound identified an intrathoracic mass ultrasonographically consistent with liver tissue and a chronic diaphragmatic hernia was suspected. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, but no evidence of a diaphragmatic hernia was identified. Thoracic exploration identified abnormal lung parenchyma. The accessory lung lobe was removed using a stapling devise near its base. The consolidated mass had the gross appearance of liver and was histologically identified as ectopic hepatic tissue. Ectopic hepatic tissue, unlike ectopic splenic and pancreatic tissue, is rare and generally has a subdiaphragmatic distribution. This solitary case report demonstrates that ectopic intrathoracic hepatic tissue should be considered a differential diagnosis for a caudal mediastinal mass.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26355587/