Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dogs with sudden trouble breathing from bleeding chest tumors outside
By Rutherford, Lynda et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2016·From the Department of Pathology (K.S.), United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hemothorax in Three Dogs with Intrathoracic Extracardiac Hemangiosarcoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three dogs experienced sudden breathing problems due to bleeding in their chest caused by a rare type of cancer called extracardiac hemangiosarcoma. The dogs were treated with a procedure to remove the fluid from their chest and received fluids to stabilize them. After imaging tests showed the tumors, two of the dogs underwent surgery to remove them, while one dog could not be saved during the operation. One dog sadly passed away a month later, but the other is still alive five months after surgery. This type of cancer can cause serious issues, and surgery may help improve quality of life.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · hemangiosarcoma in dogs · dog chest surgery recovery
Abstract
Intrathoracic extracardiac hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is rare in dogs. This report describes three dogs with acute onset dyspnea due to hemorrhagic pleural effusion resulting from intrathoracic extracardiac masses, which were confirmed as HSA by histopathology. The dogs were stabilized with thoracocentesis and intravascular fluid resuscitation. Computed tomography identified intrathoracic masses, which were not originating from the heart or pulmonary parenchyma. Surgical exploration was performed in all cases. Case 1 was euthanized intraoperatively as the tumor could not be dissected from the aorta. In cases 2 and 3, hemostasis and resection of the tumors was successful. Case 2 was euthanized 1 mo after surgery and case 3 was alive at the time of writing, 5 mo postoperatively. Intrathoracic extracardiac HSA should be considered as a differential for nontraumatic hemothorax and surgical treatment can be palliative.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27487352/