Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcome and prognostic factors for dogs with a histological diagnosis of splenic hematoma following splenectomy: 35 cases (2001-2013).
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Patten, Steve G et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Studies · Canada
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 35 dogs that had a splenic hematoma, which is a type of blood-filled swelling in the spleen, and were treated with surgery to remove the spleen. The researchers wanted to see how these dogs did over time and if certain factors could predict their outcomes. They found that the average survival time after surgery was about 647 days, but some dogs lived much longer, while others did not survive long at all. They noted that having a noticeable lump in the belly, issues with blood clotting, and signs of cancer spreading to other parts of the body were linked to worse outcomes. Overall, most dogs with splenic hematoma did well after surgery, but there is a small chance that some might actually have an undetected cancer.
Abstract
Canine splenic hematoma can be indistinguishable from hemangiosarcoma on clinical presentation and grossly at the time of surgery. However, hemangiosarcoma represents an aggressive malignancy and a misdiagnosis of hematoma would forgo indications for chemotherapy. This study describes a long-term follow-up of cases with a histologic diagnosis of splenic hematoma following splenectomy to determine if the clinical course of the disease corroborated the diagnosis. Thirty-five dogs were evaluated to determine survival and prognostic associations with signalment and clinical data. Overall median survival time was 647 days (range: 0 to 3287 days). Statistically significant variables included a palpable abdominal mass during physical examination, sub-clinical coagulopathy, and metastasis. Four cases (11%) had reported evidence of metastasis at the time of euthanasia; 1 case was histologically confirmed. Overall prognosis for splenic hematoma appears excellent, as expected, but a small proportion of cases may have an undiagnosed malignant component.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27493283/