Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
May-Hegglin anomaly causing low platelets in an 8-year-old Pug dog
By Flatland, Bente et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2011·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: May-Hegglin anomaly in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female spayed Pug was brought in for skin lesions that developed after she started treatment for a blood condition called immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, which causes low platelet counts. Tests revealed that she had a genetic condition known as May-Hegglin anomaly, which affects platelet and white blood cell appearance. Although her platelets were large and abnormal, her neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) were functioning normally. The vet confirmed the diagnosis through genetic testing, which showed a mutation similar to one found in humans with the same condition. The dog is now being monitored for her condition.
People also search for: Pug skin lesions treatment · May-Hegglin anomaly in dogs · dog low platelet count symptoms
Abstract
An 8-year-old female spayed Pug dog was presented for evaluation of cutaneous lesions occurring secondary to immunosuppressive treatment of presumed immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. Abnormal hematologic findings included persistent thrombocytopenia, macrothrombocytes, and variably shaped, often fusiform, blue cytoplasmic inclusions in neutrophils. May-Hegglin anomaly (MHA) was suspected based on the morphologic appearance of platelets and neutrophils. Examination of cells by transmission electron microscopy revealed normal platelet ultrastructure; neutrophil inclusions had features similar to those reported for inclusions in human MHA. Neutrophil function was within normal limits based on flow cytometric analysis. Thrombelastography indicated a prolonged clotting time (r), and PlateletMapping showed a lack of response to 2 μM ADP compared with a moderate response in the control dog. Immunocytochemical staining of blood smears using 2 commercially available antibodies against MYH9 protein (nonmuscle myosin heavy chain II) yielded negative results. However, genomic DNA sequencing analysis of the dog's MYH9 gene identified a single point mutation, resulting in substitution of lysine for glutamine at the 1841 amino acid position; this mutation is identical to one identified in people with MHA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an MYH9 mutation in the dog. MHA-associated macrothrombocytopenia may be mistaken for immune-mediated thrombocytopenia.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21554370/