Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with high red blood cells caused by kidney tumor
By Michael, Aleisha E et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2019·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Inappropriate Secondary Erythrocytosis in a Dog With Renal Sarcoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old mixed breed dog was brought in for high red blood cell levels, which can cause symptoms like lethargy or weakness. An ultrasound showed a 6 cm tumor on the right kidney, and the dog underwent a procedure to remove the kidney and tumor. After the surgery, the dog's red blood cell levels improved significantly, and he recovered well, going home just three days later. The tumor was identified as a grade II soft tissue sarcoma, which was completely removed.
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Abstract
A 7-year-old mixed breed dog was evaluated for erythrocytosis with an initial hematocrit of 82.3%. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a 6 cm mass on the cranial pole of the right kidney. Daily therapeutic phlebotomies were performed, reducing the hematocrit to 54%. The dog underwent a right nephroureterectomy, recovered without complications, and was discharged 3 days after surgery. Histopathologic evaluation revealed a completely excised grade II soft tissue sarcoma. The preoperative erythropoietin level was 7.00 mU/mL (RI 1.90-22.90 mU/mL) and the 3-day postoperative erythropoietin level was 0.99 mU/mL, supporting a diagnosis of inappropriate secondary erythrocytosis due to the renal tumor. Secondary erythrocytosis resulting from renal soft tissue sarcoma is rare. Confirmatory testing with erythropoietin levels can assist in the diagnosis of secondary erythrocytosis. Erythropoietin levels that are normal or increased in the face of erythrocytosis indicate a source of inappropriate erythropoietin production.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31472727/