Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intraventricular tumors in dogs and cats - treatment options and
By Beckmann, Katrin et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2023·Department for Small Animals·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Solitary intraventricular tumors in dogs and cats treated with radiotherapy alone or combined with ventriculoperitoneal shunts: A retrospective descriptive case series.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old dog with an intraventricular tumor was treated with a combination of radiotherapy and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to relieve pressure in the brain. While some dogs experienced worsening symptoms during radiotherapy alone, those that received the shunt showed quick improvement in their neurological signs. Imaging revealed a significant reduction in tumor size for those treated with both methods. The dogs that received the combination treatment had a much longer median survival time compared to those treated with radiotherapy alone, indicating that the combination approach may be more effective for managing these tumors.
People also search for: dog brain tumor treatment · ventriculoperitoneal shunt for dogs · radiotherapy for dog tumors
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intraventricular tumors are rare, optimal treatment is not defined. Symptomatic patients often exhibit life-threatening hydrocephalus. With several months time-to-effect after radiotherapy (RT), increased intracranial pressure is concerning. This increase in pressure can be overcome by ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS). OBJECTIVES: Retrospective evaluation of outcome and complications in dogs and cats with intracranial tumors treated with either RT or VPS/RT. ANIMALS: Twelve client-owned cats and dogs. METHODS: Dogs and cats with symptomatic intraventricular tumors treated with definitive-intent RT or VPS/RT were included in a retrospective, descriptive case series. Complications, tumor volume evolution, time-to-progression, and survival time were determined. RESULTS: Twelve animals were included: 1 cat and 5 dogs treated with single-modality RT and 4 cats and 2 dogs treated with VPS/RT. Neurological worsening seen in 4/6 animals during single-modality RT and 2/6 died during RT (suspected brain herniation). All dogs with VPS normalized clinically by the end of RT or earlier. Complications occurred in 4/6 animals, all but 1 were successfully managed surgically. Imaging follow-up in 8 animals surviving RT showed a marked decrease in tumor volume. Median survival time was 162 days (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16; infinity) for animals treated with RT and 1103 days (95%CI: 752; infinity) for animals treated with VPS/RT. Median time-to-progression was 71 days (95%CI: 7; infinity) and 895 days (95%CI: 704; infinity) for each group, respectively. Two dogs died because of intraventricular metastasis 427 and 461 days after single-modality RT. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Ventriculoperitoneal shunting led to rapid normalization of neurological signs and RT had a measurable effect on tumor volume. Combination of VPS/RT seems to be beneficial.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36382395/