Vulvar Lymphangiosarcoma in a Bitch

Background: Lymphangiosarcoma (LSA) is a rare, highly malignant and infiltrative neoplasm of the lymphatic endothelium of dogs and cats. It is mostly reported in medium to large breed dogs, over 5-year-old, with no sexual predisposition. Affected animals present fluctuating and diffuse swelling, covering both dermis and subcutaneous tissue, spreading through lymphatic and haematic vessels. Histologically, LSA is characterized by connected channels devoid of conspicuous haematic elements. Treatment depends on location of the neoplasm, staging, and possibility of curative surgical excision. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can increase survival time. In this report, we describe a rare case of vulvar LSA in a dog. This is the first Brazilian report of LSA in dogs so far.Case: A 3-year-old, female, mixed breed dog was presented for evaluation of vesicle-bullous lesions in the vulvar and perivulvar region with progressive growth along 6 month. Histopathology revealed neoplastic proliferation in the superficial dermis, advancing through the profound dermis. The histological lesion pattern was consistent with angiosarcoma, which united along with macroscopic pattern of the tumor, and the presence of multiple anastomosed vascular structures without erythrocytes within it at microscopy, was compatible with LSA. No evidence of metastasis or lymphadenopathy was found on survey radiography and ultrasound. We performed a surgical excision, and remaining wound was reconstructed with an advancement skin flap. Despite wide surgical resection, neoplastic cells could be found in surgical borders, as well as a metastatic inguinal lymph node. Postoperative chemotherapy based on doxorubicin as a single agent was administrated. Disease free interval (DFI) was one month after surgery, when small bullous lesions were observed near the surgical site, and histopathological exam confirmed LSA. Three months after the surgical procedure, the patient presented with worsening of the lesions, anorexia, and apathy. The owner opted for euthanasia. Total survival time was five months.Discussion: The LSA occurs often in dogs above five years old, unlike this case, in which the patient was 3 years old. Several anatomic locations were cited in other reports. In this case, the lesion was in both the vulvar and perivulvar regions, which is an uncommon location of LSA, described as secondarily affected region in one report only. Despite absence of metastasis in this case, lungs, kidneys, bone marrow, and spleen can be affected. Histopathologic exam is the golden standard for a definitive diagnose of LSA. Diagnosing LSA may be challenging due to its resemblance to hemangiosarcoma, and confirmation is only possible if histopathology detects an absence of red blood cells in the lymphatic channels. Prognosis is poor due to LSA aggressive and infiltrative features. Doxorubicin demonstrated good clinical response in other dogs. Chemotherapy protocols, whether alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide, have been proving to be promising in dogs with soft tissue sarcomas, such as LSA. Surgical approach is the most appropriate and it may be associated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, especially if complete resection of the tumor is not possible. In this report, even though it was a young animal, the location and extension of the lesion did not contribute to the good prognosis, even after adding adjuvant chemotherapy to the treatment

Partial Obstruction of the Small Intestine by a Trichobezoar in a Dog

Background: Bezoars are accumulations of foreign material and indigestible organic substances in the gastrointestinal tract. There are different classifications for bezoars based on its primary composition. The trichobezoars are concretions composed of hair or hair-like fibers and are often associated with trichophagia in humans. The obstruction by a trichobezoar occurring in the stomach, with its tail extending to or beyond the ileocecal valve or jejunum is rare in humans. This condition is called Rapunzel Syndrome. Obstruction by trichobezoar has been reported few times in cats and dogs. This paper aims to describe an uncommon clinical presentation of a young dog with partial obstruction of the small intestine by a trichobezoar.Case: A 2-year-old, 5.5 kg, intact male poodle was referred due to kyphosis and a history of pain in the thoracolumbar region for approximately 10 months. Physical examination revealed that the dog walked without any difficulty or ataxia, but had pain on palpation of the lumbar vertebral column. Thoracolumbar spine radiographies failed to show any sign of disease. Conservative therapy for intervertebral disk disease did not shown any improvement. In addition, the dog showed signs of pain on abdominal palpation and 18-month history of hyporexia, apathy and dark colored diarrhea. Abdominal ultrasonography detected a 5-cm intraluminal intestinal structure at the ileo-jejunal junction, forming an acoustic shadow, with focal thickening of the intestinal wall. Exploratory celiotomy followed by jejunal enterotomy revealed a trichobezoar consisting of undigested hair and textile fibers partially obstructing that segment. The intestinal wall in that region formed a sacculation, so a 5 cm jejunal resection with end-to-end anastomosis was performed. Histopathology of this segment did not show any neoplastic formation. After 20 days of surgical procedure, no clinical sign was reported by the owner, the animal return to normal appetite and back pain was not present. Ultrasonography confirmed normal intestinal flow. At the last follow-up 180 days after surgery, the dog was in excellent condition with no obvious clinical sign related to the disease or surgical procedure.Discussion: The mild chronic signs presented by the animal lead to an initial inaccurate diagnosis, since abdominal pain may seem like a back pain. The ultrasonography was useful to identify the presence of an initially unknow foreign body. However, definitive diagnosis was only possible after exploratory celiotomy, since trichophagia was not reported by the owner. The trichobezoar found in this case cannot be classified as Rapunzel Syndrome, since it is not a gastric trichobezoar with a tail extending up to the small intestine. The occurrence of trichobezoar is usually associated with overgrooming, tumor or end-to-end anastomosis, but none of this conditions was present. The presence of omental adhesion on jejunum wall is suggestive of previous damage, probably caused due to long-term permanence of the trichobezoar in this segment. The intestinal perforation caused by trichobezoar is one of the most common life-threatening complication observed in human patients. A sacculation observed during surgery may have contributed to its formation. The case presented may be considered extremely uncommon, due to the partial obstruction of the intestinal lumen and long-term evolution