What is your diagnosis?

Radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in a dog with emphysematous pyometra

“…The progesterone-sensitized uterus is suitable not only for pregnancy, but also for bacterial infection, because progesterone stimulates endometrial glandular secretions, induces functional cervical closure, decreases myometral contraction and suppresses local immune responses [ 7 ]. Escherichia coli is the most commonly isolated organism [ 7 ] but a wide range or other species have also been found [ 1 , 2 , 7 – 9 ]. Rarely the uterus is colonized by gas-producing bacteria, which lead to emphysematous pyometra.…”

“…Rarely the uterus is colonized by gas-producing bacteria, which lead to emphysematous pyometra. In previous cases of canine emphysematous pyometra Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Citrobacter diversus , Clostridium perfringens and Enterococcus avium have been isolated [ 1 – 5 ].…”

“…Emphysematous pyometra in the dog is a rare, life threatening disease, characterized by gas-forming bacteria infecting the uterus and causing an accumulation of both gas and infectious exudate in the uterine lumen [ 1 ]. To date, only six case reports have been described in dogs [ 1 – 6 ], and they all focus on the radiological features of emphysematous pyometra, which include large tubular structures containing gas or mixed gas and soft tissue/fluid opacities. The main differential diagnosis for emphysematous pyometra is small intestinal ileus.…”

What is your diagnosis?

“…The most common bacteria associated with pyometra is Escherichia coli ; however, Staphylococci , Streptococci , Klebsiella , Pseudomonas , Proteus , Haemophilus , Pasteurella , Serratia and other bacteria have been isolated from the uteri of bitches with pyometra (Stone 1985, Lynn and others 1989). Clostridium perfringens (Hernandez and others 2003) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Thilagar and others 2006) were isolated in 2003 and 2006, respectively, from cases of emphysematous pyometra in dogs. C diversus was found in endometrial swab samples from a model of equine endometritis induced by progesterone injection, which was later treated with antibiotics in 1992 (Hinrichs and others 1992).…”

“…Emphysematous pyometra is an uncommon disease characterised by gas‐forming bacteria infecting the uterine tissue with resulting necrosis (Thilagar and others 2006). Its presence should be considered concurrently with any other diseases that predispose to emphysematous pyometra through meticulous systemic examination of patients.…”