Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hepatoblastoma with erythrocytosis in a young female horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2000
- Authors:
- Lennox, T J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical and Population Science · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2.5-year-old female Thoroughbred horse was taken to the vet because she was very tired, had stopped eating, and was losing weight. Blood tests showed she had an unusually high number of red blood cells, and other tests indicated liver problems. An ultrasound of her abdomen showed her liver was enlarged and looked abnormal. Unfortunately, despite receiving supportive care, her condition did not improve, and she was euthanized. A thorough examination after her death revealed a liver tumor called hepatoblastoma, which is difficult to diagnose and often has a poor outlook.
Abstract
A 2.5-year-old female Thoroughbred was examined because of lethargy, anorexia, and weight loss. Analysis of a CBC revealed erythrocytosis and an increase in PCV. Serum biochemical analysis revealed increases in activities of several hepatic enzymes. Ultrasonography revealed hepatomegaly and a heterogeneous appearance of the hepatic parenchyma. The horse did not improve despite supportive care, and it was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed numerous raised white to gray foci in the liver. Histologically, these foci consisted of neoplastic cells that resembled fetal hepatocytes, embryonal-type cells, and cells with features intermediate between those 2 cell types. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that hepatocytes stained strongly with anti-alpha-fetoprotein. On the basis of these results, hepatoblastoma was diagnosed. Diagnosis of hepatoblastoma is difficult, because it can appear histologically similar to other hepatic tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinomas. Definitive diagnosis requires histologic evaluation of tumor architecture and cell morphology. Immunohistochemical staining for alpha-fetoprotein in tumor cells may serve as a tumor marker but is not pathognomonic of hepatoblastoma. Paraneoplastic syndromes, such as erythrocytosis, can accompany hepatoblastoma. The prognosis for horses with hepatoblastoma is grave.
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/10707688/