Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with head mass causing vomiting and seizures treated by surgery
By Lee, Seungmin et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2020·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Intradiploic epidermoid cyst in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old Shih Tzu was brought to the vet after experiencing dullness, intermittent vomiting, and a seizure over the past couple of weeks. The vet found a soft mass on the dog's head, which imaging tests revealed was pressing on the brain. The dog underwent surgery to remove the mass, which was identified as an intradiploic epidermoid cyst. After a brief recovery period with some mild coordination issues, the dog returned to normal and remained healthy for over two years after the surgery.
People also search for: dog vomiting and dullness · Shih Tzu seizure treatment · dog head mass surgery · intradiploic epidermoid cyst in dogs
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 10-year-old 7-kg (15.4-lb) neutered male Shih Tzu was referred for evaluation because of a sudden onset of dullness and intermittent vomiting of 1 to 2 weeks' duration. Two days prior to evaluation, clinical signs had worsened and 1 seizure was reported. CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 3.5 × 2.5-cm soft, dome-shaped mass of the right occipital region of the head was noted on physical examination. Radiography and CT confirmed the presence of the mass and indicated its intra- and extracranial expansion. The MRI images showed compression of the cerebellum by the mass, with distinct margins of hypointensity on both T1- and T2-weighted images. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Surgery was performed, and the mass was completely excised. The dog had mild ataxia, hypermetria, and head tremors after surgery. Histologic examination of the mass yielded a diagnosis of intradiploic epidermoid cyst. On examination 3 weeks after surgery, the previous neurologic signs had resolved. On examination 25 months after surgery, the dog remained free of clinical signs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The present report described the clinical signs, diagnostic imaging results, and successful surgical removal of an intradiploic epidermoid cyst in a dog. Long-term prognosis may be good with complete removal of intradiploic epidermoid cysts in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32597736/