Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mucus-filled fluid in a dog's chest from heart tumor
By Riegel, Casey M et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2008·Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: What is your diagnosis? Muculent pleural effusion from a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female Brittany Spaniel was brought in with breathing difficulties, loss of appetite, and diarrhea that had lasted for a week. Tests revealed a yellow, cloudy fluid in her chest, which indicated a serious underlying issue. Sadly, the dog passed away three days later, and a necropsy showed a rare heart tumor called myxosarcoma, which likely caused the fluid buildup. This type of tumor can lead to serious health problems and should be considered if a dog has similar symptoms.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · Brittany Spaniel heart tumor · pleural effusion in dogs · dog with fluid in chest treatment · myxosarcoma in dogs
Abstract
Pleural effusion was examined from a 5-year-old, female Brittany Spaniel with a 7-day history of dyspnea, anorexia, and diarrhea. The fluid was yellow, cloudy, and slightly gelatinous, and had a total protein concentration of 2.8 g/dL, a total nucleated cell concentration of 1.1 x 10(3)/microL, and a triglyceride concentration of 177 mg/dL. A cytocentrifuged preparation contained a mixed inflammatory cell population with a predominance of small lymphocytes and abundant mucinous material in the background. The dog died 3 days later and a mass was found within the lumen and wall of the right auricle of the heart at necropsy. Histopathologic sections of the mass contained a population of anaplastic spindle cells diffusely suspended in a pale basophilic matrix, consistent with myxosarcoma. The cells were positive for vimentin and negative for cytokeratin, desmin, and von Willebrand factor VIII-related antigen. A myxoid matrix was confirmed by positive staining with Alcian blue. Myxosarcoma is a rare cardiac tumor in dogs that should be considered, along with mucus-producing carcinomas and bile, as a cause of muculent effusion.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18761532/