Concurrent Splenic and Right Atrial Mass at Presentation in Dogs with HSA: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the presence of concurrent splenic and cardiac hemangiosarcoma (HSA). Dogs were divided into two groups: group 1 included 23 dogs with splenic HSA, and group 2 included 31 dogs with a cardiac HSA. All dogs were fully assessed for metastasis with thoracic radiography, abdominal and/or cardiac ultrasound, and/or postmortem examination. Two dogs (8.7%) in group 1 had a concurrent cardiac mass. Neither of these dogs had pericardial effusion, and both were golden retrievers. Thirteen of the dogs in group 1 presented with a hemoabdomen. Concurrent intra-abdominal metastasis was noted in seven dogs. In group 2, 9/31 (29%) of the dogs had a concurrent splenic HSA, and 13/31 (42%) of the dogs had evidence of metastasis to another site. There was a significant association between age and the presence of nonsplenic metastasis (odds ratio, 0.457). The rate of concurrent right atrial mass detected by cardiac ultrasound in dogs with splenic HSA was 8.7%, which is less than previously reported. For dogs with right atrial HSA, the risk of metastasis to nonsplenic sites decreases with age.

Retrospective comparison of first‐line adjuvant anthracycline vs metronomic‐based chemotherapy protocols in the treatment of stage I and II canine splenic haemangiosarcoma

“…13 Additionally, in the same study, the frequency in detecting concurrent cardiac masses in dogs with splenic HSA seems to be lower than previously reported. 13 Therefore, we could not rule out the presence of a cardiac mass in all cases, even though most dogs underwent other imaging modalities (eg, CT scan, thoracic radiographs) and no dogs had evidence of clinical signs potentially associated with cardiac disease. Although it is unlikely that any cardiac masses or related pericardial effusion have gone undetected in our population, this remains a possibility.…”

“…Staging procedures were not standardized between the institutions and were dependent on owner's finances and clinician's recommendation. For this reason, diagnostic procedures such as echocardiography were performed in only a few cases, as cardiac masses may not necessarily represent metastatic disease but rather concurrent HSAs according to a recent study . Additionally, in the same study, the frequency in detecting concurrent cardiac masses in dogs with splenic HSA seems to be lower than previously reported .…”

“…For this reason, diagnostic procedures such as echocardiography were performed in only a few cases, as cardiac masses may not necessarily represent metastatic disease but rather concurrent HSAs according to a recent study . Additionally, in the same study, the frequency in detecting concurrent cardiac masses in dogs with splenic HSA seems to be lower than previously reported . Therefore, we could not rule out the presence of a cardiac mass in all cases, even though most dogs underwent other imaging modalities (eg, CT scan, thoracic radiographs) and no dogs had evidence of clinical signs potentially associated with cardiac disease.…”

Survival time of dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma treated by splenectomy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy: 208 cases (2001–2012)

“…Median survival time of dogs with stage I disease that underwent surgery alone was 5.5 months, and these patients had 1-and 2-year survival rates of approximately 35.3% and 11.7%, respectively. Because a previous study 29 demonstrated that approximately 9% of dogs with signs of a splenic hemangiosarcoma had concurrent right atrial hemangiosarcoma and because cardiac tamponade due to hemorrhage can develop at any time, echocardiography should be recommended to all owners contemplating surgery for a dog with a splenic mass and should be considered essential for owners who would not elect surgery if their dog had stage III disease. Staging for all dogs with a splenic mass should include 3-view thoracic radiography and thorough abdominal ultrasonography.…”

Epidemiological, Clinical and Pathological Features of Primary Cardiac Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs: A Review of 51 Cases

“…Our study sample was too small to allow conclusions to be drawn about breed distribution, but there were 11 GRs in the present series, and this was a breed that had featured in earlier investigations [1, 2, 3, 4, 26]. It was also evident that Maltese (9/51) and Miniature Dachshund (7/51) breeds were represented more frequently than others.…”