Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with low blood sugar and seizures from liver cancer
By Dorn, Amanda R et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2021·Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypoglycemia and seizures associated with canine primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male Labrador Retriever was brought in for severe symptoms including difficulty standing, ataxia (uncoordinated movement), and grand mal seizures. Blood tests showed dangerously low blood sugar levels and some liver issues, but attempts to control the seizures with treatments like dextrose and diazepam were unsuccessful. Sadly, due to the poor quality of life, the dog was euthanized, and an autopsy revealed a rare liver tumor called primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. This type of cancer is uncommon in dogs and typically affects other areas like the gastrointestinal or respiratory tracts.
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Abstract
A 10-y-old intact male Labrador Retriever dog had a history of ataxia, inability to stand, and grand mal seizures. Complete blood count and serum biochemistry profiles revealed profound hypoglycemia, mildly increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, mild hypernatremia, and lymphopenia. The seizures could not be controlled with intravenous dextrose, diazepam, or propofol. The dog was euthanized given poor quality of life, and an autopsy was performed. Primary autopsy findings included firm hepatic masses that ranged from dark-red to tan, with the largest ~1.5 cm diameter, and pulmonary edema. Histologic examination of the hepatic masses revealed redundant, several-cell-thick cords, and packeted or acinar arrangements of polygonal cells, supported on a fibrovascular stroma. The neoplastic cells were immunopositive for insulin, synaptophysin, and neuron-specific enolase immunohistochemistry; granules in the tumor cells had an affinity for Grimelius silver stain. The histologic features, as well as the immunohistochemical staining profile, identified the neoplasm as a primary multifocal hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. Neuroendocrine carcinomas are rare in dogs and usually occur in the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33899610/