No abstract

Results suggest that lung lobe torsion is rare in dogs and develops most frequently in large deep-chested dogs, particularly Afghan Hounds. Other predisposing causes were not identified, but an association with chylothorax was evident, especially in Afghan Hounds. Prognosis for dogs with lung lobe torsion was fair to guarded.

Nineteen cases of isolated splenic torsion in the dog were reviewed retrospectively. Perioperative data were analysed in order to determine prognostic indicators of morbidity and mortality for animals with this disease. This Great Dane and German shepherd dog were found to be at increased risk for this condition. The historical features of splenic torsion were non-specific and included intermittent signs of gastrointestinal disease and abdominal discomfort. Mean duration of malaise was eight days, but 17 dogs were presented because of a rapid deterioration in their condition. Abdominal ultrasound findings assisted in the decision to perform surgery in all the dogs on which it was performed. Eighteen animals had splenic torsion confirmed at surgery and were treated by total splenectomy. All 18 surgically managed dogs survived. Analysis of pre- and postoperative data failed to reveal preoperative parameters that consistently predicted postoperative complications.

The ultrasonographic appearance of splenic torsion has been described; the splenic parenchyma can be normal, hypoechoic or anechoic with interspersed linear echoes (coarse/"lacy" appearance). The ultrasonographic parenchymal appearance of 15 dogs in this report with splenic torsion varied: mottled hypoechoic regions (n=2), diffusely hypoechoic (n=11) and normal (n=2). Because splenic torsion causes vascular congestion due to splenic vein compression and eventual thrombosis, visible splenic vein intraluminal echogenicities compatible with thrombi were seen in 13 dogs using B-mode. Using spectral Doppler and color Doppler imaging of the splenic veins, no measurable flow velocities were detected in any of the 15 dogs. The varied B-mode ultrasonographic appearance of the splenic parenchyma with splenic torsion necessitates B-mode evaluation of the splenic veins for intraluminal echoes and spectral or color Doppler evaluation for absent velocity flow.

Canine tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. A retrospective study was undertaken of all dogs that were presented between January 1999 and January 2004 to the Animal Health Trust for the treatment of tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. Five cases were identified, and their median survival time was 211 days (95 per cent confidence interval 80 to 352) with two of the five dogs remaining alive at the end of the study, 826 and 1628 days from diagnosis with no clinical signs of disease. The protocol was well tolerated with only one of the five dogs showing toxicity associated with carboplatin and all dogs that started radiotherapy completing it. Compared with results of previous studies, these cases suggest that surgical cytoreduction followed by coarse fractionated radiotherapy together with carboplatin may be a useful way to treat this tumour. Carboplatin alone caused partial remission in the two cases where it was used as neo-adjunctive therapy.