Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Histiocytic sarcoma of the spleen in flat-coated retrievers with regenerative anaemia and hypoproteinaemia.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Dobson, J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine · United Kingdom
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In this study, three flat-coated retrievers were found to have a type of cancer called histiocytic sarcoma affecting their spleen, along with signs of regenerative anemia (a condition where the body is trying to make new red blood cells due to blood loss) and low protein levels in their blood. The dogs showed an enlarged spleen, and imaging tests revealed abnormalities, but the exact source of any bleeding couldn't be pinpointed. A fourth dog with similar symptoms and an abdominal mass was also diagnosed with the same type of cancer after surgery to remove the spleen. It is believed that the anemia in these dogs was caused by their own immune cells attacking red blood cells, either due to the cancer itself or as a reaction to it. The outcome for these dogs was a diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma.
Abstract
Three flat-coated retrievers with a regenerative anaemia were examined. They were hypoproteinaemic suggesting that the anaemia might be due to blood loss, but it was not possible to identify a site of haemorrhage. All three had splenomegaly with splenic abnormalities apparent on ultrasonography. Ultimately all three animals were shown to have a histiocytic sarcoma involving the spleen and other tissues. A fourth flat-coated retriever with anaemia, hypoproteinaemia and an abdominal mass was also diagnosed with a histiocytic sarcoma of the spleen following splenectomy. It is postulated that the dogs' anaemia was due to erythrophagocytosis, either directly by neoplastic cells or by reactive macrophages.
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/16782856/