Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Emphysematous pyometra secondary to Enterococcus avium infection in a dog.
- Journal:
- Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Chang, An-Chi et al.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female Mastiff was brought to the vet because she had a vaginal discharge for one day. During the exam, the vet found a discharge that looked bloody and pus-like, and the dog showed signs of a serious infection. X-rays of her abdomen showed a swollen uterus filled with gas, leading to a diagnosis of emphysematous pyometra, which is a severe infection of the uterus. The dog underwent surgery to remove her uterus and ovaries, and after the surgery, her symptoms improved. Tests later showed that the infection was caused by a type of bacteria called Enterococcus avium, which had not been reported in similar cases before.
Abstract
A 5-year-old female intact Mastiff dog was presented with a history of vaginal discharge for 1 day. Physical examination revealed a sanguineo-purulent vaginal discharge and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Abdominal radiographs showed several dilated and gas- filled tubular loops. The differential diagnoses included emphysematous pyometra or small intestinal mechanical ileus. Surgical exploration of the abdomen demonstrated a severely dilated and gas-filled uterus, and emphysematous pyometra was confirmed. The patient's clinical signs resolved after ovariohysterectomy. Histopathology revealed mild endometrial cystic hyperplasia with infiltration of inflammatory cells in the superficial endometrial epithelia. Enterococcus avium, an α-hemolytic gram-positive coccus, was isolated from the uterus. This paper highlights the radiographic features of emphysematous pyometra and a pathogen that has never been reported to be associated with canine pyometra previously.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27111397/