Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lipid emboli found in a 2-year-old Vietnamese potbellied pig
By Newkirk, Kim M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2012·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lipid emboli in a Vietnamese potbellied pig (Sus scrofa).
- Species:
- pig
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old spayed female Vietnamese potbellied pig was brought in because she was drinking and urinating a lot, seemed very tired, and wasn't eating well. The vet found that she was overweight and had a large mass in her abdomen. During surgery, they discovered the mass was made up of fat tissue that had some unusual changes. Unfortunately, the pig passed away while recovering from anesthesia, and further examination revealed that she had lipid emboli, which are tiny fat particles that can block blood vessels. This case highlights the risks of fat embolism in overweight pigs, especially during medical procedures.
People also search for: potbellied pig drinking a lot · pig lethargy and not eating · fat embolism in pigs · potbellied pig surgery risks
Abstract
A 2-year-old, spayed female Vietnamese potbellied pig (Sus scrofa) was evaluated due to polyuria, polydipsia, lethargy, and hyporexia. The pig was obese, and a large abdominal mass was palpated. Additional findings included hypercalcemia, hyperglycemia, glucosuria, and an inflammatory leukogram. At surgery, the abdominal mass was biopsied and found to be bilaterally symmetric adipose tissue with mineralization and granulomatous steatitis. An additional surgery was performed to collect additional diagnostic samples, but the pig died while recovering from anesthesia. A cosmetic necropsy was performed, and lipid emboli were identified microscopically in various tissues. The presence of lipid emboli in the lung and kidney was supported by antifibrinogen immunohistochemistry. Obesity is a common finding in potbellied pigs; however, mineralization and saponification of fat are uncommon, particularly the bilateral symmetrical distribution found in the abdomen of the present case. This may present as a single intra-abdominal mass complicating diagnostic interpretation. Whether mineralization and saponification of fat facilitate the development of fat embolism is undetermined. Lipid emboli should be considered in obese pigs undergoing medical or surgical procedures. Factors that may predispose to the development of fat embolism, such as excessive handling or bruising of fat stores, should be avoided.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22529140/