Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Small intestinal ganglioneuromatosis in a dog.
- Journal:
- Journal of comparative pathology
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Paris, J K et al.
- Affiliation:
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Roslin Institute · United Kingdom
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old female neutered collie-cross dog had been dealing with ongoing diarrhea, weight loss, and occasional vomiting for two months. An ultrasound of her abdomen showed a section of her small intestine that was unusually thick but still had a normal structure. The veterinarians performed surgery to take a biopsy and remove the affected part of the intestine, which was found to have a condition called small intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (a growth of nerve cells in the intestinal wall). After the surgery, the dog recovered well, her diarrhea stopped, and she has since gained weight and has been healthy for the past eleven months. This case is notable because it’s the first time this condition has been reported in an older dog, and the surgery led to a successful outcome.
Abstract
A 9-year-old female neutered collie-cross dog was presented with a 2-month history of persistent diarrhoea, weight loss and intermittent vomiting. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed one loop of jejunum with a markedly thickened and multifocally hyperechoic wall, without loss of wall layering. Laparotomies were performed for biopsy and resection of affected intestine. Histopathological examination revealed small intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (GN). The dog recovered well from surgery and the diarrhoea resolved. Eleven months later the dog has gained weight and remains asymptomatic. This is the first report of small intestinal GN affecting a mature dog, in which pathology was localized to the mucosal lamina propria and surgical treatment resulted in a successful outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22925263/