Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with severe forelimb lameness diagnosed with iron-overload muscle
By Yim, Jae-Hyuk et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2025·Department of Veterinary Pathology, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First report of iron-overload myopathy due to secondary hemochromatosis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old spayed female Donggyeong dog was brought in for severe lameness in her front legs. After she passed away, a necropsy revealed that she had an enlarged liver and muscle damage due to iron overload, which was caused by a condition called secondary hemochromatosis. This condition led to the accumulation of iron in her organs, including her liver and muscles, resulting in severe muscle wasting and inflammation. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for this rare condition, and the dog did not survive.
People also search for: dog lameness · iron overload in dogs · hemochromatosis symptoms in dogs · muscle wasting in dogs
Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Hemochromatosis is rare in domestic animals, and iron-induced myopathy has not been reported in veterinary medicine. This case is the first report of iron-overload myopathy owing to hemochromatosis in a dog. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9-year-old spayed female Donggyeong dog presented with severe forelimb lameness. Necropsy revealed an enlarged liver and hemorrhagic lesions in the forelimb muscle. Microscopy showed iron components accumulation in multiple organs, including the liver, forelimb skeletal muscle, spleen, lymph node, and kidney. Prussian blue staining identified iron deposits in both macrophages and parenchymal cells, indicating that the iron accumulation was acquired rather than hereditary. Furthermore, iron components were observed within muscle fibers, accompanied by severe atrophy and myositis. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Severe necrosis and mild fibrosis were observed in the liver and forelimb skeletal muscles. Based on histological analysis, we diagnosed iron overload myopathy by secondary hemochromatosis. Secondary hemochromatosis with severe muscle atrophy and myositis is very rare, and this is the first report of iron-overload myopathy in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39749379/