Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Border collie skull bone tumor removed and repaired with pig
By Sheahan, D E & Gillian, T D·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2008·Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Reconstructive cranioplasty using a porcine small intestinal submucosal graft.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old border collie was brought in with a solid mass on its skull, which turned out to be a tumor affecting the bone. After surgery to remove the tumor and some of the surrounding bone, the dog needed a special graft to help reconstruct the area where the bone was missing. The vet used a graft made from pig intestine, which provided good support and helped close the skin. While the surgery was successful in restoring the dog's appearance and function, the tumor did grow back in the area, so it's important for future surgeries to ensure that enough healthy tissue is removed along with any tumors.
People also search for: dog skull tumor treatment · border collie cranioplasty · dog surgery recovery after tumor removal
Abstract
A six-year-old border collie was presented with a solid mass on the dorsal cranium. Histological examination showed the mass to be a multilobular tumour of bone. A magnetic resonance imaging scan confirmed deformation of the dorsal cranium with compression of the cerebral hemispheres. A craniotomy was performed to excise the mass and overlying skin, resulting in a substantial deficit of calvarium and skin. A cranioplasty using a small intestinal submucosal (SIS) graft was performed to reconstruct the calvarial defect. A local myocutaneous advancement flap was elevated and positioned over the cranioplasty to close the skin deficit. The outcome of this reconstruction was aesthetic and functional. The small intestinal submucosal graft provided satisfactory mechanical support and was a suitable physical barrier in place of the calvarial bone. Histological examination of the small intestinal submucosal graft 128 days after implantation showed that the graft had been replaced by a dense network of collagenous tissue, with small focal areas of partially mineralised woven bone merging with a fibrocartilaginous matrix of the deeper margin. Histological examination also confirmed regrowth of the multilobular tumour of bone in the region of the small intestinal submucosal graft indicating that it is only a suitable implant if adequate surgical margins are obtained.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18373537/