Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mediastinal cysts are rare in dog chest CT scans
By Nanni, Caterina et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2024·Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Presumed mediastinal cysts have a low prevalence in canine thoracic computed tomographic studies.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs underwent chest scans, and 49 were found to have presumed mediastinal cysts, which are rare fluid-filled sacs in the chest area. These cysts were mostly small, round, and located in the front part of the chest, with clear edges and no signs of being harmful. While the overall occurrence was low, it was noted that English Bulldogs and mixed-breed dogs were more commonly affected, particularly males. The findings suggest that if your dog has a chest scan showing similar characteristics, it may just be an incidental finding and not a cause for concern.
People also search for: dog chest scan results · English Bulldog cysts · mediastinal cysts in dogs · dog thoracic CT scan findings
Abstract
Mediastinal cysts (MCs) are rare lesions that can arise from embryonic remnants of various mediastinal structures. MCs usually are incidental findings in dogs and cats; however, they can reach a mass-like appearance. The description of MCs on CT in dogs is limited. This retrospective, single-center, descriptive, prevalence study aimed to determine the prevalence of presumed mediastinal cysts (PMCs) in dogs and assess their CT characteristics. Dogs that underwent a thoracic CT scan from January 2019 to August 2021 were included. CT images were evaluated for the presence of PMCs by two diagnostic imaging interns, two last year diagnostic imaging residents, and a board-certified veterinary radiologist. Number, location, margins, shape, volume, size, mass effect, and attenuation values of PMCs were assessed. A total of 866 CT scans were reviewed, and 49 PMCs were identified. The prevalence of PMCs in dogs was 5.66%. English Bulldog and mixed-breed dogs were subjectively overrepresented; however, the possibility of population bias could not be excluded. PMCs were subjectively more frequently observed in male dogs. The PMCs were predominantly round, small, solitary fluid-filled findings localized in the cranioventral mediastinum, with well-defined margins, homogeneous attenuation, and no contrast enhancement. The median attenuation value was 6.32 HU (range: -20.16 to 23.45 HU) precontrast and 7.58 HU (range: -2.45 to 20.79 HU) postcontrast, and the median volume was 1.19 cm(range: 0.02-45.32 cm). Although the prevalence of PMCs was low in our sample population, findings supported prioritizing a differential diagnosis of incidental PMC for dogs with the above imaging characteristics.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38217392/