Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden belly bleeding caused by chest lymphoma
By Gonzalez, Amanda et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2026·Veterinary Centers of America, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hemoperitoneum in a dog with cranial mediastinal lymphoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old neutered male terrier-mix was brought to the vet after suddenly becoming lethargic and vomiting once. The vet found that the dog had a significant amount of blood in his abdomen and discovered a mass in the chest area. Despite treatment with steroids and other medications, the dog sadly passed away 38 days later. This case highlights that bleeding in the abdomen can sometimes be caused by issues outside of the abdomen, like lymphoma in the chest.
People also search for: dog lethargy and vomiting · terrier-mix lymphoma treatment · hemoperitoneum causes in dogs
Abstract
A 2-year-old neutered male terrier-mix dog was presented to a multispecialty hospital because of acute onset of lethargy and a single episode of vomiting. The dog was unstable on admission and had a moderate hemoperitoneum as determined by point-of-care ultrasonography. Additional diagnostic tests revealed a cranial mediastinal mass and scant pleural effusion. After the dog was stabilized, a computed tomographic scan confirmed a cranial mediastinal mass with bicavitary effusion as well as bicavitary lymphadenopathy. Cytologic examination of thoracic fluid was most consistent with intermediate- to large-cell lymphoma. The dog was treated with a single glucocorticoid injection, a single administration of L-asparaginase, and oral glucocorticoid therapy that was tapered to discontinuation. The dog was presented deceased on arrival at 38 d after the initial presentation to the specialty hospital. This case report describes an uncommon differential diagnosis to consider in cases of hemoperitoneum. Key clinical message: Hemoperitoneum may occur secondary to non-intra-abdominal disease, such as mediastinal lymphoma, and a complete systemic workup should be completed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41586140/