Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Imaging signs of orbital myxosarcoma causing eye bulge in dogs
By Dennis, Ruth·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2008·Centre for Small Animal Studies, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Imaging features of orbital myxosarcoma in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for a swollen eye that was bulging out (exophthalmos) and soft swelling around the face. The vet used imaging tests like ultrasound and MRI, which showed fluid-filled cavities and a tumor in the eye area that was difficult to remove surgically. Although the tumor was infiltrative and not easily treated, the dog was given palliative care, which helped manage symptoms. The dog’s condition progressed slowly, allowing for a reasonable quality of life for some time.
People also search for: dog swollen eye treatment · dog eye tumor symptoms · palliative care for dog tumors
Abstract
Myxomas and myxosarcomas are infiltrative connective tissue tumors of fibroblastic origin that can be distinguished by the presence of abundant mucinous stroma. This paper describes the clinical and imaging features of orbital myxosarcoma in five dogs and suggests a predilection for the orbit. The main clinical signs were slowly progressive exophthalmos with soft swelling of the pterygopalatine fossa, and in two dogs, of the periorbital area. No pain was associated with the eye or orbit but one dog had pain on opening the mouth. The dogs were imaged using combinations of ultrasonography, radiography, and magnetic resonance imaging. In four dogs, extensive fluid-filled cavities in the orbit and fascial planes were seen and in the fifth dog, the tumor appeared more solid with small, peripheral cystic areas. In all dogs, the lesion extended along fascial planes to involve the temporomandibular joint, with osteolysis demonstrable in two dogs. Fluid aspirated from the cystic areas was viscous and sticky, mimicking that from a salivary mucocoele. Myxomas and myxosarcomas are known to be infiltrative and not readily amenable to surgical removal but their clinical course seems to be slow, with a reasonable survival time with palliative treatment. In humans, a juxta-articular form is recognized in which a prominent feature is the presence of dilated, cyst-like spaces filled with mucinous material. It is postulated that orbital myxosarcoma in dogs may be similar to the juxta-articular form in man, and may arise from the temporomandibular joint.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18546781/