Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with metastatic tumors on heart lining despite unclear fluid test
By Guglielmini, Carlo et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2007·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Metastatic pericardial tumors in a dog with equivocal pericardial cytological findings.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female mixed-breed dog was found to have a tumor around her heart after showing signs of fluid buildup in the pericardial sac (the lining around the heart). An ultrasound revealed multiple masses attached to the heart's lining, but tests on the fluid didn't provide clear answers. Further examination confirmed that these were metastatic tumors, meaning they spread from another cancer, specifically an aggressive stomach cancer. Unfortunately, this condition indicates a serious health issue that requires immediate veterinary attention and treatment options may be limited.
People also search for: dog heart tumor symptoms · pericardial effusion in dogs · metastatic cancer treatment for dogs
Abstract
A metastatic tumor associated with pericardial effusion was diagnosed in a 6-year-old, female, mixed-breed dog. Echocardiography identified multiple echogenic masses adherent to both visceral and parietal pericardium, while results of pericardial fluid cytology were non-diagnostic. The distribution pattern of the masses is remarkable in that they protruded from both pericardial surfaces, rather than one, and demonstrated an oscillatory motion during the cardiac cycle. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of multiple metastatic tumors of the pericardium, with the primary tumor being an anaplastic gastric adenocarcinoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17823478/