Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lung mineral buildup in a dog after long steroid use
By Jorge, Kelsey M et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2021·Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Radiographic characteristics of alveolar microlithiasis and pulmonary ossification following chronic corticosteroid therapy in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old female Australian Shepherd was brought in for sudden breathing problems after being on steroids for a long time. X-rays showed serious lung issues, including unusual mineral buildup in the lungs and skin problems. Unfortunately, the dog developed a collapsed lung during testing and went into cardiac arrest. Sadly, she did not survive, and further examination revealed significant lung damage caused by the long-term steroid use. This case highlights the potential risks of prolonged steroid therapy in dogs.
People also search for: dog breathing problems after steroids · Australian Shepherd lung issues · chronic steroid side effects in dogs
Abstract
A 10-year-old, neutered female, Australian Shepherd was referred for acute respiratory distress and a history of chronic exogenous steroid administration. On thoracic radiographs, a severe increase in mineral opacity characterized as a generalized unstructured interstitial pulmonary pattern, diffuse calcinosis cutis, and moderate hepatomegaly were noted. Cor pulmonale was identified on echocardiography. The patient developed a pneumothorax following sampling and had a cardiac arrest. Postmortem histopathology of the lungs revealed pulmonary interstitial mineralization and alveolar microlithiasis. This report supports including generalized pulmonary mineralization due to chronic exogenous steroid administration as a differential diagnosis for dogs with these clinical and imaging findings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31317591/