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. 2019 Mar;33(2):812-819.
doi: 10.1111/jvim.15456. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Prevalence, distribution, and clinical characteristics of hemangiosarcoma-associated skeletal muscle metastases in 61 dogs: A whole body computed tomographic study

Andrea Carloni  1 , Rossella Terragni  2 , Antonio Maria Morselli-Labate  2 , Michaela Paninarova  3 , John Graham  4 , Paola Valenti  1 , Monica Alberti  1 , Giulia Albarello  5 , Francesca Millanta  6 , Massimo Vignoli  1   7
Affiliations

Prevalence, distribution, and clinical characteristics of hemangiosarcoma-associated skeletal muscle metastases in 61 dogs: A whole body computed tomographic study

Andrea Carloni et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Skeletal muscle metastases (SMMs) have been described sporadically in canine oncology.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine the prevalence, localization, and clinical signs of SMMs associated with hemangiosarcoma (HSA) in a population of dogs presented for whole body computed tomography (CT).

Animals: Dogs with a histologically confirmed HSA and a tissue core specimen or fine needle aspirate of suspected metastatic lesions were included in the study.

Methods: Retrospective study. Dogs with a final diagnosis of visceral or muscular HSA that underwent whole body CT scan were enrolled in the study. Final diagnosis of primary tumor and SMMs was reached by histology, cytology, or both. Signalment, clinical signs, localization of the primary lesion, and metastases characteristics were reviewed.

Results: Sixty-one dogs met the inclusion criteria. Skeletal muscle metastases were detected in 15 dogs (24.6%) and all of these dogs had also metastases in ≥1 sites. Presence of SMMs was significantly higher in males but was not significantly related to age, neuter status, breed, localization, and dimensions of the primary tumor. Nine of 15 (60.0%) dogs with SMMs showed lameness or reluctance to move whereas these signs were not recorded in any of the 42 dogs without SMMs (P < .001).

Conclusion and clinical importance: Prevalence of SMMs in our population of dogs with HSA was higher in comparison to previous studies in the human and veterinary medical literature. Whole body CT is recommended for staging of dogs with HSA, because SMMs could be missed by clinical examination and traditional diagnostic imaging modalities.

Keywords: dogs; imaging; lameness; oncology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A, Transverse and B, sagittal contrast‐enhanced computed tomographic images of an 11‐years‐old neutered male cross‐breed dog with a hemangiosarcoma metastasis in the tongue muscle. The lesion appears round, heterogeneous, and with mild ring enhancement
Figure 2
Figure 2
Same dog as in Figure 1. Diffuse SMMs with varied enhancement patterns are visible
Figure 3
Figure 3
Computed tomographic study in an 8‐year‐old spayed female Labrador Retriever. The contrast enhanced study shows a ring‐enhancing lesion in the right epaxial muscle at the level of T11 (A). In the lungs, there is only 1 soft tissue nodule in the ventral part of the left caudal lung lobe (B). No other metastatic lesions were found in this patient
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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