Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Liver biopsy shows amyloid deposits in Shar Pei dog
By Flatland, Bente et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2007·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Liver aspirate from a Shar Pei dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old neutered male Shar Pei was brought to the vet due to weight loss, lack of appetite, tiredness, and swelling in his limbs. Tests showed he had anemia, a urinary tract infection, and liver enlargement, along with other health issues. A liver sample revealed the presence of amyloid, which is an abnormal protein that can cause organ damage. Unfortunately, the dog was euthanized due to the severity of his condition, and further examination confirmed amyloid deposits in multiple organs.
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Abstract
A 5-year-old, neutered male, Shar Pei dog was presented with weight loss, anorexia, lethargy, stranguria, and distal limb edema. Clinicopathologic abnormalities included anemia, an inflammatory leukogram, azotemia, icterus, urinary tract infection, and hepatomegaly with a markedly hypoechoic liver. Cytologic findings in a fine-needle aspirate of the liver included large amounts of amorphous, pink, extracellular matrix between hepatocytes. The amorphous material was congophilic using Congo red stain on a hepatic cytology specimen and green birefringent areas were observed under polarized light, confirming the presence of amyloid. The dog was euthanized and a necropsy was done. Histopathologic evaluation using H&E and Congo red staining confirmed amyloid deposits within the liver, kidneys, intestinal vessels, pancreas, and mesenteric ganglia. Immunohistochemical staining of liver and kidney sections using anti-AA amyloid and anti-P component antibodies confirmed the presence of AA amyloid. In this case, we demonstrated that Congo red staining and polarized light microscopy are a useful diagnostic technique in cytologic specimens of suitable thickness for confirming the presence of amyloid.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17311205/