Pericardial effusion in a dog concurrent with carcinoma of unknown primary origin

Document Type : Scientific report

Authors

1 Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, South Korea

2 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Small Animal Tumor Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, South Korea

Abstract

Background: Pericardial effusion (PE) due to secondary metastasis has rarely been reported in dogs. Case description: This case describes clinical signs and further diagnostics regarding metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP) in refractory PE of a dog. Findings/treatment and outcome: A nine-year-old, castrated male Shih Tzu dog was referred for evaluation of cough and dyspnea. On presentation, tachypnea, intermittent cough, and muffled heart sounds were noted. Thoracic radiography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography confirmed a PE. No mass lesion was detected at the heart base, aorta, or right atrium (RA). Analysis of the PE showed hemorrhagic cytology, and an idiopathic hemorrhagic PE was tentatively diagnosed. The dog responded to conservative treatment with steroid and diuretics, but the clinical sign recurred. Further evaluation with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) was non-diagnostic. The dog died 457 days after initial presentation. Necropsy and histopathology revealed metastatic CUP origin. Conclusion: This case illustrated a rare cause of recurrent PE in dogs.

Keywords


Cagle, LA; Epstein, SE; Owens, SD; Mellema, MS; Hopper, K and Burton, AG (2014). Diagnostic yield of cytologic analysis of pericardial effusion in dogs. J. Vet. Intern. Med., 28: 66-71.
Kirsch, JA; Dhupa, S and Cornell, KK (2000). Pericardial effusion associated with metastatic disease from an unknown primary tumor in a dog. J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc., 36: 121-124.
LeWinter, MM and Tischler, MD (2011). Braunwald’s heart disease. 9th Edn., Philadelphia (PA), Saunders. PP: 1651-1670.
MacDonald, KA; Cagney, O and Magne, ML (2009). Echocardiographic and clinicopatholgic characterization of pericardial effusion in dogs: 107 cases (1985-2006). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 235: 1456-1461.
Morrison, WB (2002). Cancer in dogs and cats: medical and surgical management. 2nd Edn., Baltimore (MD), Williams & Wilkins. PP: 727-730.
Pavlidis, N; Briasoulis, E; Hainsworth, J and Greco, FA (2003). Diagnostic and therapeutic management of cancer of an unknown primary. Eur. J. Cancer., 39: 1990-2005.
Pavlidis, N and Fizazi, K (2009). Cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol., 69: 271-280.
Pavlidis, N; Khaled, H and Gaafar, R (2015). A mini review on cancer of unknown primary site: a clinical puzzle for the oncologists. J. Adv. Res., 6: 375-382.
Pavlidis, N and Pentheroudakis, G (2012). Cancer of unknown primary site. Lancet. 379: 1428-1435.
Refaat, MM and Katz, WE (2011). Neoplastic pericardial effusion. Clin. Cardiol., 34: 593-598.
Rossi, F; Aresu, L; Vignoli, M; Buracco, P; Bettini, G; Ferro, S; Gattino, F; Ghiani, F; Costantino, R; Ressel, L; Bellei, E and Marconato, L (2015). Metastatic cancer of unknown primary in 21 dogs. Vet. Comp. Oncol., 13: 11-19.
Saab, J; Hoda, RS; Narula, N; Hoda, SA; Geraghty, BE; Nasar, A; Alperstein, SA; Port, JL and Giorgadze, T (2017). Diagnostic yield of cytopathology in evaluating pericardial effusions: clinicopathologic analysis of 419 specimens. Cancer Cytopathol., 125: 128-137.
Scollan, KF; Bottorff, B; Stieger-Vanegas, S; Nemanic, S and Sisson, D (2015). Use of multidetector computed tomography in the assessment of dogs with pericardial effusion. J. Vet. Intern. Med., 29: 79-87.
Stafford Johnson, M; Martin, M; Binns, S and Day, MJ (2004). A retrospective study of clinical findings, treatment and outcome in 143 dogs with pericardial effusion. J. Small. Anim. Pract., 45: 546-552.
Varadhachary, GR (2007). Carcinoma of unknown primary origin. Gastrointest. Cancer Res., 1: 229-235.