Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Solitary splenic mass found during GDV surgery often means cancer
By Polly, Micheala R et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2026·Department of Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Identification of a solitary splenic mass during surgery for gastric dilatation-volvulus is associated with diagnosis of splenic neoplasia in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for surgery to correct a serious stomach condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). During the surgery, the vet found a single mass on the dog's spleen, which led to further testing. Out of 138 dogs in a study, 11% were diagnosed with splenic cancer when a mass was present. The findings suggest that if a dog has one or two visible masses on the spleen during GDV surgery, it may be important to test for cancer afterward.
People also search for: dog splenic mass surgery · GDV in dogs · dog spleen cancer symptoms · splenectomy recovery in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe associations between abnormalities in splenic tissue removed secondary to gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) correction and histopathologic diagnosis of splenic malignancy. METHODS: Dogs treated with splenectomy secondary to GDV correction at any of 83 US veterinary referral hospitals between January 1, 2013 and May 1, 2025 were retrospectively reviewed. Data related to signalment, visual, and tactile description of the spleen during surgery, and results from the splenic histopathology report were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize histopathologic diagnoses. Frequency proportions were estimated with 95% binomial confidence intervals. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-eight dogs were included. The median (range) weight was 31.5 (6-99.7) kg; the median (range) age was 10.1 (1.6-15.1) years. Malignancy was diagnosed in 15 of 138 (10.9%; 95% CI: 6.2%-17.3%) dogs. The prevalence of splenic malignancy did not differ significantly across age or weight quartiles. Malignancy rates significantly differed by the number of visible lesions in the spleen. There were no (0%; 95% CI: 0.0%-7.7%) malignancies in 46 dogs without visible splenic lesions, 13 (19.1%; 95% CI: 10.6%-30.5%) malignancies in 68 dogs with solitary/single visible lesions, 2 (14.3%; 95% CI: 1.8%-42.8%) malignancies in 14 dogs with two visible lesions, and 0 (0%; 95% CI: 0.0%-30.8%) malignancies in 10 dogs with 3 or more visible splenic lesions. CONCLUSION: The number of lesions in spleens removed secondary to GDV correction was associated with identification of splenic malignancy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The financial cost associated with splenic histopathology following splenectomy secondary to GDV correction may be warranted in spleens with one or two discrete masses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41919143/