The utility of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of canine gastric neoplasia was evaluated prospectively in a series of six cases subsequently confirmed as having adenocarcinoma by cytological or histological examination or both. Gastric neoplasia was associated with mural thickening with loss of normal wall sonographic layers and decreased or absent local motility. Sonographic findings were consistent with tumor localization obtained by other diagnostic methods employed. Ultrasonographic-guided, percutaneous, fine-needle aspirations biopsies were successful in two of the three cases in which they were performed. Ultrasonography appears useful in the diagnostic of canine gastric neoplasia.

Canine cholecystitis is diagnosed infrequently. Clinical signs, physical examination findings, and clinicopathological abnormalities are nonspecific. Few reports exist of associated ultrasonographic findings which also are nonspecific for the disorder. Ultrasonographic-guided, percutaneous cholecystocentesis has been suggested for diagnostic confirmation. The present report further documents ultrasonographic findings associated with canine acalculous cholecystitis and demonstrates the utility of ultrasonographic-guided, percutaneous cholecystocentesis in confirmation of the diagnosis in a prospectively acquired clinical case series.

The lumbosacral spine of six normal dogs weighing 4.5 to 24.5kg was imaged by computed tomography in 5.0 mm & 10.0 mm transverse planes. The vertebral canal and thecal sac (including emerging nerve roots not distinguished as separate structures from the spinal cord) were measured along dorsoventral and transverse dimensions at cranial, middle and caudal levels within each vertebra from transverse tomographic images. Linear measurements were standardized to the dorsoventral dimension of the L6vertebral midbody to permit comparison and averaging of the vertebral and thecal sac dimensions among different sized dogs. The dorsoventral and transverse vertebral canal size progressively increased from cranial to caudal within each vertebra from L1−L6(p ≤ 0.05). The transverse dimension of the thecal sac image increased caudally within each vertebra from L1−L4(p ≤ 0.05). The vertebral canal dorsoventral and transverse dimensions were largest in the midlumbar area (p ≤ 0.05). The transverse, but not the dorsoventral, imaged dimension of the thecal sac peaked in the L4vertebra (p ≤ 0.05). The dorsoventral thecal sac image was observed to fill the vertebral canal in the cranial and middle vertebral levels in vertebrae L1through L5in over 60% of these normal dogs. However, epidural fat could almost always be seen lateral to the thecal sac regardless of what lumbar vertebra or vertebral level was imaged. Cranial to the lumbosacral junction, the dorsal intervertebral disk margin was almost always concave relative to the thecal sac. However, at the L7‐S1junction, some dogs had flat or even slightly convex dorsal intervertebral disk margins. The dorsal and ventral longitudinal ligaments and the ligamentum flavum could not be identified as distinct structures on the 5.0 mm transverse tomographic images.

Misoprostol prevented gastric hemorrhage in dogs, each of which received aspirin (35 mg/kg body weight, orally q 8 hrs for 10 days). All dogs receiving aspirin alone had gastroscopic and histopathological lesions. No lesions were noted in four of five dogs given aspirin plus misoprostol (15 micrograms/kg body weight, q 8 hrs for five days; then 7.5 micrograms/kg body weight, q 8 hrs for five days). Four of 10 dogs receiving 15 micrograms/kg body weight of misoprostol developed diarrhea. The misoprostol dose was reduced to 7.5 micrograms/kg body weight, and the diarrhea subsided.

Hypophosphatemia associated with hemolytic anemia was diagnosed in five cats with diabetes mellitus and in one cat with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis. The hematocrit began decreasing within 24 to 48 hours after documented hypophosphatemia in each case. The anemia resolved in all five surviving cats. Because of the temporal relationship and lack of other detectable causes, hemolytic anemia was presumed to be caused by hypophosphatemia. There were increased Heinz bodies in three of six hypophosphatemic cats during episodes of hemolysis. Intravenous potassium phosphate administration corrected the hypophosphatemia in four of five cats. The effective dosages of intravenous phosphate ranged from 0.011 to 0.017 mmol of phosphate/kg/h for 6 to 12 hours. Hypocalcemia (5.4 to 8.7 mg/dL) occurred in four of five cats treated with intravenous phosphate; however, only one cat developed clinical signs attributable to hypocalcemia. Based on this retrospective study, we recommend monitoring serum phosphorus concentration every 6 to 12 hours in cats likely to become hypophosphatemic. Treatment of hypophosphatemia in cats is warranted because of the apparent increased susceptibility of cats to hypophosphatemia-induced hemolysis. Cats with severe hypophosphatemia (< or = 1.5 mg/dL) should be given oral or parenteral phosphate if contraindications do not exist.

Forty-eight cases of dogs with primary and metastatic hepatic neoplasia were reviewed to determine if a predictable relationship between sonographic appearance and neoplastic cell type could be found. A focal mass was almost always a hepatocellular carcinoma (14 of 15) and 71% of these were hyperechoic. Focal or multifocal hyperechoic masses were most likely to be carcinomas (14 of 15). Focal or multifocal mixed neoplasms were most likely to be carcinomas (6 of 7). Two distinct patterns of lymphosarcoma were found: diffuse, mildly hyperechoic (6/11) and multifocal, hypoechoic (5/11). No neoplastic cell-type predictions could be made for focal or multifocal hypoechoic lesions. Diffuse fine or coarse patterns with minimal architectural distortions could be mistaken for normal or degenerative processes. However, in the presence of increased serum liver enzyme values, these subtle sonographic changes would warrant a liver biopsy to differentiate neoplastic infiltrate from non-neoplastic infiltrative and degenerative processes.

Alkalemia (pH greater than 7.50) was measured in 20 dogs admitted over a 3-year period for various clinical disorders. Alkalemia was detected in only 2.08% of all dogs in which blood pH and blood-gas estimations were made. Thirteen dogs had metabolic alkalosis (HCO3- greater than 24 mEq/L, PCO2 greater than 30 mm of Hg), of which 8 had uncompensated metabolic alkalosis, and of which 5 had partially compensated metabolic alkalosis. Seven dogs had respiratory alkalosis (PCO2 less than 30 mm of Hg, HCO3- less than 24 mEq/L); 4 of these had uncompensated respiratory alkalosis and 3 had partially compensated respiratory alkalosis. Ten dogs had double or triple acid-base abnormalities. Dogs with metabolic alkalosis had a preponderance of clinical signs associated with gastrointestinal disorders (10 dogs). Overzealous administration of sodium bicarbonate or diuretics, in addition to anorexia, polyuria, or hyperbilirubinemia may have contributed to metabolic alkalosis in 8 of the dogs. Most of the dogs in this group had low serum K+ and Cl- values. Two dogs with metabolic alkalosis had PCO2 values greater than 60 mm of Hg, and 1 of these had arterial hypoxemia (PaO2 less than 80 mm of Hg). Treatments included replacement of fluid and electrolytes (Na+, K+, and Cl-), and surgery as indicated (8 dogs). Six dogs with respiratory alkalosis had a variety of airway, pulmonary, or cardiac disorders, and 3 of these had arterial hypoxemia. Two other dogs were excessively ventilated during surgery, and 1 dog had apparent postoperative pain that may have contributed to the respiratory alkalosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Using cytocentrifugation, nearly one fourth of canine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples with cell counts in the normal range had abnormalities in cell type or morphologic features. Cerebrospinal fluid samples from 145 dogs with neurologic disorders were evaluated by use of this method. These results indicate that low hemacytometer counts in canine CSF should not be interpreted as normal. By increasing the detection of abnormalities in CSF, cytocentrifugation might improve diagnosis and treatment of canine neurologic disease.

A thoracic vertebral (T5) osteochondroma was discovered in a 1 1/2-year-old male blue Persian cat with a history of acute hind limb paresis. Myelography revealed a mass on the dorsal surface of the vertebral body, which resulted in dorsal compression of the spinal cord. A dorsal laminectomy was performed, and the mass was rongeured entirely from the vertebral body. Although the cat's progress was initially slow after surgery, its neurologic status was assessed to be near normal, 15 months later.

The Medical Research Council UKALL V trial for children with standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (aged 1 to 14 years, leucocyte count less than 20 X 10(9)/L) was designed to determine whether the immunosuppressive effects of treatment could be reduced without sacrifice of antileukemic effect by alterations in the type of continuing therapy or in fractionation of cranial irradiation. Remission was achieved in 496 children on standard induction therapy, and 309 children received 24 Gy of cranial irradiation in ten to 16 fractions over 21 days, and 174 received 21 Gy in five to nine fractions over 21 days. The type of radiotherapy administered had no influence on relapse at any site or rate of death in remission. All 496 children were randomized to receive chemotherapy for 2 or 3 years with 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate either as a continuous (group C) or a semicontinuous (group G) regimen or as a five-day pulse every 3 weeks (group I). All groups also received vincristine and prednisolone every 6 weeks. With a minimum follow-up of almost 7 years, patients in group I had significantly fewer remission deaths (P = .025) but a much higher rate of bone marrow relapse than those in group C or G (P = .002). There was an overall benefit for 3 years of chemotherapy compared with 2 years, which in contrast to previous studies, was more apparent in girls and in patients in groups C and G. Testicular relapse occurred in 37 boys, including 19 patients off therapy, with a previously negative biopsy. The overall results confirmed the prognostic significance of initial leucocyte count, even among these standard-risk patients, while girls had a superior rate of disease-free survival, but not of hematologic remission. It is concluded that, even among standard-risk patients, the prognosis is influenced by the height of the initial leukocyte count. While alterations in the fractionation of cranial irradiation do not appear to have influenced disease-free survival, intermittent continuing chemotherapy, although less immunosuppressive, is less effective than conventional continuous therapy in the treatment of ALL. In this study, 3 years of chemotherapy appeared superior to 2 years.

Chronic active hepatitis has been recognized in humans since the 1950s but has been recognized only recently as a disease syndrome in dogs. The author describes this diverse group of chronic inflammatory liver diseases and discusses the factors related to its etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy.

The anticonvulsant drug, primidone, was believed to be responsible for the development of hepatic cirrhosis in a 9-year-old German Shepherd Dog with idiopathic epilepsy. Marked increases in serum alanine aminotransferase, serum alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and sulfobromophthalein retention, as well as decreases in albumin and BUN supported the diagnosis of hepatic failure. Biochemical abnormalities improved after primidone was discontinued. Previous reports indicated a poor prognosis for anticonvulsant-induced hepatic failure; however, this dog has remained stable for over a year after diagnosis and proper therapy.