Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rare liver blood vessel shunt found in 7-month-old toy poodle
By Takeuchi, Ryo et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2024·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Single Posthepatic Portosystemic Shunt Communicated With Internal Thoracic Vein and Azygos Continuation of the Caudal Vena Cava in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old toy poodle was brought to the vet because he was drooling excessively and showing signs of neurological issues. After a special imaging test called computed tomography angiography (CTA), the vet discovered a rare type of blood vessel problem called a posthepatic portosystemic shunt (PSS), which was affecting the dog's liver function. The dog underwent two surgeries to close off the abnormal blood vessel, and now, about 10 years later, he is still healthy and doing well. This case shows that even complex blood vessel issues can be treated successfully with surgery.
People also search for: dog drooling and neurological symptoms · toy poodle portosystemic shunt treatment · dog surgery for blood vessel problems
Abstract
Computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed under general anaesthesia on a 7-month-old toy poodle that was referred with the chief complaints of salivation and neurological symptoms. The CTA revealed a rare form of posthepatic portosystemic shunt (PSS) via the suspected persistent left umbilical vein communicating with the internal thoracic vein in addition to an azygos continuation of the caudal vena cava (CVC). The patient underwent surgery for partial ligation of PSS on Day 4 after the initial examination. On Day 71, after the initial examination, a second surgery was performed for complete ligation. Approximately 10 years have passed since the patient's second surgery, and he is still healthy, and generally in good condition. Although the morphology of the shunt in this case was unusual and was accompanied by an azygos continuation of the CVC, a favourable course of treatment was obtained by ligating the shunt vessel. This case report suggests that CTA can reveal the complex morphological characteristics like our case. Surgical treatment in this case resulted in favourable progress, similar to that in dogs with commonly observed extrahepatic PSS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39315722/