Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What is your diagnosis? Particulate material in peritoneal fluid from a dog.
- Journal:
- Veterinary clinical pathology
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Renschler, Janelle et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male Greyhound was brought to the vet because he had been vomiting and very tired for a week. During the exam, the dog had a fever, was dehydrated, and had a tense belly with small spots of bleeding on his skin. Blood tests showed several issues, including high levels of certain substances and low levels of others. The vet found that the dog had barium sulfate particles in his abdominal fluid, which came from a previous test where barium was given to check his stomach. Further tests showed that he had a hole in his intestine and a liver tumor, which turned out to be T-cell lymphoma (a type of cancer). After surgery to fix the perforation and remove the tumor, the dog recovered well and started chemotherapy for the lymphoma.
Abstract
9-year-old castrated male Greyhound dog was presented for evaluation of vomiting and lethargy of 1-week duration. On physical examination, the dog was febrile and dehydrated with a tense abdomen and petechial hemorrhages. Clinicopathologic abnormalities included relative polycythemia, mild lymphopenia with reactive lymphocytes, hypoalbuminemia, hypocholesterolemia, hyperbilirubinemia, increased ALP, mild hypokalemia, hyperamylasemia, hyperlipasemia, increased D-dimer concentration, and hyperfibrinogenemia. Cytologic evaluation of peritoneal fluid revealed marked suppurative inflammation with intracellular barium sulfate particles. The day before presentation, the referring veterinarian had administered oral barium sulfate in an upper gastrointestinal contrast study. Radiographs revealed free contrast material in the peritoneal cavity, consistent with gastrointestinal perforation, and leakage of contrast material. Abdominal exploratory surgery revealed a mid-jejunal perforation and a hepatic nodule. Histopathologic diagnosis of the jejunal and liver lesions was T-cell lymphoma. The patient recovered well postoperatively and received chemotherapy for treatment of lymphoma. Most commercial barium sulfate preparations contain relatively uniform, weakly birefringent, pale yellow particles <1 microm in diameter. Because barium sulfate is found occasionally in clinical specimens, cytopathologists should be familiar with its cytologic appearance.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18366556/