Magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging of a carotid body tumor in a dog.

A 5-year-old castrated male Labrador Retriever was presented to a referring veterinarian for a swelling in the neck region. Based on the results of histopathology, a carotid body tumor, was diagnosed. The dog was referred to a medical imaging unit for further staging and follow up.

Immunohistochemical localization of fibroblast growth factor 18 in hair follicles of healthy beagle dogs.

Increasing emphasis is being placed on the role of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) in hair follicle cycling. In mice, expression of FGF18 mRNA peaks during the late telogen phase, leading to the hypothesis that FGF plays a role in anagen induction. There are no data on the presence of FGF18 in dogs.

Evaluation of FOXC2 as a candidate gene for chronic progressive lymphedema in draft horses.

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a debilitating condition identified in Clydesdales, Shires and Belgian draft horses and results in progressive swelling of the lower legs associated with the development of thick skin folds, ulcerations, fibrosis and marked hyperkeratosis. The result is severe discomfort and recurrent secondary infection, often requiring euthanasia. Due to the delayed onset, many horses are bred prior to diagnosis.

Measurement of skin desmosine as an indicator of altered cutaneous elastin in draft horses with chronic progressive lymphedema.

Background: Chronic progressive lymphedema in Clydesdale and Shire draft horses causes severe disability of the limbs which leads to premature death of these horses. Since appropriate function of lymph vessels is dependent on the presence of viable elastin fibers, the goal of this study was to document differences in skin elastin fibers in affected horse breeds, compared to a nonaffected draft horse breed.

Methods And Results: Biochemical analysis of cutaneous desmosine, a cross-linking amino acid found only in elastin, was used to measure elastin in the skin from 110 draft horses.

Molecular detection of microbes in nasal tissue of dogs with idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis.

Lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (LPR) is a common histologic finding in dogs with chronic nasal disease; however, potential etiologies of this disorder have not been examined. We investigated the hypothesis that specific microbes contribute to clinical disease in dogs with LPR. Paraffin-embedded nasal biopsies were obtained from 19 dogs with LPR, 10 dogs with nasal neoplasia, and 10 dogs with nasal aspergillosis.

Assessment of infectious organisms associated with chronic rhinosinusitis in cats.

Objective: To determine detection rates for feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), Mycoplasma spp, fungi, and bacteria in flush samples and biopsy specimens from the nasal cavities of cats with and without chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Design: Prospective study.

Animals: 10 CRS-affected cats and 7 cats without signs of respiratory tract disease.

Cytokine gene transcription in feline nasal tissue with histologic evidence of inflammation.

Objective: To correlate gene transcription of cytokines and chemokines with histologic inflammation in nasal biopsy specimens of cats.

Animals: 25 study cats and 4 specific pathogen-free cats.

Procedure: One nasal biopsy specimen from each cat was submitted for routine histologic evaluation; a second was submitted for evaluation by use of a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis with a fluorogenic probe (ie, TaqMan) for detection of cytokines and chemokines (interleukin [IL]-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-16, IL-18, interferon [IFN]I-gamma, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, and the regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted [RANTES] protein).

Evaluation of ameroid ring constrictors for treatment for single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in dogs: 168 cases (1995-2001).

Objectives: To evaluate use of an ameroid ring constrictor (ARC) for treatment for single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (PSSs) and identify factors associated with postoperative death, continued portosystemic shunting, and long-term outcome in dogs.

Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: 168 dogs with a single extrahepatic PSS.

Evaluation of the effect of routine histologic processing on the size of skin samples obtained from dogs.

Objective: To determine the effects that routine histologic processing has on the dimensions of samples of normal skin of dogs and assess whether the inclusion of a muscle or fascial layer in such samples alters those effects.

Sample Population: Skin samples obtained from 6 medium-sized adult dogs with grossly normal skin.

Procedure: From each dog, skin samples (with or without underlying fascia or muscle) were obtained from 3 sites bilaterally (6 samples/dog) and processed routinely for histologic evaluation; their dimensions were measured at intervals during the experiment.

Progressive swelling, hyperkeratosis, and fibrosis of distal limbs in Clydesdales, Shires, and Belgian draft horses, suggestive of primary lymphedema.

Background: A condition characterized by progressive swelling, hyperkeratosis, and fibrosis of the distal limbs has been recognized in Shire, Clydesdale, and Belgian draft horses. This chronic progressive disease starts at an early age, progresses throughout the life of the horse, and often ends in disfigurement and disability of the limbs that inevitably leads to the horse's premature death. This study was undertaken to better characterize this disease.

Correlation of rhinoscopic signs of inflammation with histologic findings in nasal biopsy specimens of cats with or without upper respiratory tract disease.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of cumulative rhinoscopic findings of hyperemia, mucus accumulation, and turbinate destruction with the type and severity of inflammatory infiltrates in nasal biopsy specimens of cats with or without upper respiratory tract disease.

Design: Prospective study.

Animals: Cats with (n = 11) and without (6) upper respiratory tract disease and cats with unknown medical histories (27).

Idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis in dogs: 37 cases (1997-2002).

Objective: To determine clinical signs and rhinoscopic, computed tomographic, and histologic abnormalities in dogs with idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 37 dogs.

Cutaneous vascular malformation in a guinea pig (Cavia porcellus).

A skin lesion classified as a vascular malformation is reported in a young-adult, female guinea pig. The physical examination revealed a 3 x 2-cm irregularly shaped violaceous plaque located on the left caudal flank. The surface of the plaque was ulcerated and bled intermittently, resulting in fatal blood loss.

Biologic behavior and prognostic factors for mast cell tumors of the canine muzzle: 24 cases (1990-2001).

The medical records of 24 dogs with histologically confirmed mast cell tumors (MCT) of the muzzle were retrospectively evaluated to determine their biologic behavior and prognostic factors. Information on signalment, tumor grade and stage, treatment methods, and pattern of and time to failure and death was obtained from the medical record. Twenty-three dogs were treated with combinations of radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy; 1 dog received no treatment.

Surgical management of adrenal gland tumors with and without associated tumor thrombi in dogs: 40 cases (1994-2001).

Objective: To compare pathologic findings and results of adrenalectomy for adrenal gland tumors in dogs with and without vena caval tumor thrombi.

Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: 40 dogs with adrenal gland tumors.

Abdominal fluid from a dog.

A 2-year-old intact female mixed-breed dog with a 1-month history of lethargy and anorexia was evaluated for abdominal distension and an abdominal mass. The dog's last heat cycle, her third, was 1 month prior to presentation, and no reproductive cycle abnormalities were noted at any time. Hematologic and serum biochemical abnormalities were consistent with hemorrhage and inflammation.

Malignant Sertoli cell tumor in the retained abdominal testis of a unilaterally cryptorchid horse.

A 13-year-old Morgan gelding was evaluated because of a mass in the caudal region of the abdomen. The horse had been presumed to be a gelding, but necropsy findings revealed a retained testis in the right retroperitoneal space. Histologically, the retained testis contained neoplastic cells; metastases were identified in the liver, spleen, lungs, and sublumbar lymph nodes.

Roles of neutrophil beta 2 integrins in kinetics of bacteremia, extravasation, and tick acquisition of Anaplasma phagocytophila in mice.

Tick saliva contains anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive substances that facilitate blood feeding and enhance tick-vectored pathogen transmission, including Anaplasma phagocytophila an etiologic agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis. As such, inflammation at a tick-feeding site is strikingly different than that typically observed at other sites of inflammation. Up-regulation of CD11b/CD18 occurs in host granulocytes following interaction or infection with A phagocytophila, and the absence of CD11b/CD18 results in early increases in bacteremia.