Home Safety Fall and Accident Risk Among Prematurely Aging, Formerly Homeless Adults.

Objective: Homelessness prematurely ages people. A large subgroup of formerly homeless adults between ages 40 and 64 yr have health conditions similar to or worse than people categorized as elderly. Little is known about the impact of this group's chronic health conditions on their ability to safely function in supportive housing.

Bilateral mandibular pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis and pulmonary nodules in a dog with Bartonella henselae bacteremia.

This report describes a 2-year-old collie dog with pulmonary nodules, visualized by computed tomographic (CT) scan, with evidence of Bartonella henselae bacteremia and pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis. Clinical signs resolved with antimicrobial therapy.

Mechanistic exploration of AhR-mediated host protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a primary cause of invasive bacterial infection and pneumonia and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In prior studies we showed that pre-treating mice with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a potent agonist of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), protects against S. pneumoniae-induced mortality and reduces pulmonary bacterial burden.

Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by TCDD inhibits mammary tumor metastasis in a syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer.

Treatment with aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists can slow or reverse the growth of primary mammary tumors in rodents, which has fostered interest in developing selective AhR modulators for treatment of breast cancer. However, the major goal of breast cancer therapy is to inhibit metastasis, the primary cause of mortality in women with this disease. Studies conducted using breast cancer cell lines have demonstrated that AhR agonists suppress proliferation, invasiveness, and colony formation in vitro; however, further exploration using in vivo models of metastasis is warranted.

Correlation of ultrasound findings, liver and spleen cytology, and prognosis in the clinical staging of high metastatic risk canine mast cell tumors.

Cytologic sampling of the ultrasonographically normal spleen and liver is not implemented routinely in the clinical staging of canine cutaneous mast cell tumors and normal ultrasound findings are often accepted as sufficient evidence for ruling out splenic or liver metastasis. Our objective was to define the specificity and sensitivity of ultrasound findings for diagnosis of mast cell infiltration when verified with cytologic evaluation, and to define the prognostic role of cytologic evaluation of liver and splenic aspirates. Dogs with a diagnosis of clinically aggressive grade II, or grade III mast cell tumor treated with a combination vinblastine/CCNU chemotherapy protocol, were selected retrospectively based on availability of cytologic evaluation of spleen plus or minus liver for staging.

Effects of 6% hetastarch (600/0.75) or lactated Ringer's solution on hemostatic variables and clinical bleeding in healthy dogs anesthetized for orthopedic surgery.

Objective: To evaluate and compare hemostatic variables and clinical bleeding following the administration of 6% hetastarch (600/0.75) or lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) to dogs anesthetized for orthopedic surgery.

Study Design: Randomized blinded prospective study.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia in a 17-year-old Peruvian Paso mare.

A 17-year-old Peruvian Paso mare was evaluated for bilateral epistaxis that had been present for at least 3 years. The mare had mild anemia, platelet count within the reference interval, unremarkable coagulation times, and a negative Coggins test. On endoscopic examination, structural abnormalities were not observed in the nasal cavities, pharynx, larynx, trachea, or either guttural pouch, but petechiation was noted in the nasal mucosa.

What is your diagnosis? Vertebral mass in a dog.

A 1-year-old, castrated male, mixed-breed dog was presented for sporadic episodes of kyphosis, tremors, and vocalizing. On neurologic examination, the lesion was localized to spinal cord segments T3-L3. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine showed an expansile mass occupying most of the ventral aspect of the spinous process of T6.

Immunomagnetic isolation of canine circulating endothelial and endothelial progenitor cells.

Background: Increased concentrations of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are thought to be a biomarker of vascular injury in human patients with cardiovascular disease, neoplasia, vasculitis, sickle cell anemia, shock, and sepsis. Immunomagnetic isolation is a technique currently used to enumerate human CECs and can detect low numbers of cells.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a standard protocol for immunomagnetic isolation could be used to obtain and enumerate CECs and a subpopulation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from canine whole blood.

The influence of age and Rhodococcus equi infection on CD1 expression by equine antigen presenting cells.

Unlabelled: There is a distinct age-associated susceptibility of horses to Rhodococcus equi infection. Initial infection is thought to occur in the neonatal and perinatal period, and only foals less than 6 months of age are typically affected. R.

What is your diagnosis? Intracranial mass in a cat.

A 14-year-old female spayed cat was presented with a 3-4-month history of circling to the left and intermittent head pressing. Neurologic examination findings localized the lesion to the left supratentorial region. Using magnetic resonance imaging, an extra-axial mass was found on the dorsal aspect of the brain at the level of the frontal and parietal lobes, compressing and displacing the brain ventrally and caudally.

Presumptive increase in protein-bound serum calcium in a dog with multiple myeloma.

An 11-year-old male castrated Australian Shepherd was presented with a history of lethargy, panting, and weight loss for 1 month. Physical examination revealed a moderately enlarged spleen. Laboratory abnormalities included thrombocytopenia and marked hypercalcemia, with hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and a monoclonal spike in the beta-globulin region on serum protein electrophoresis.

Pseudothrombocytopenia secondary to the effects of EDTA in a dog.

Pseudothrombocytopenia (PTCP) secondary to the effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has been noted in horses and pigs and should be considered in dogs with moderate thrombocytopenia and no clinical bleeding tendency. This type of pseudothrombocytopenia is not a pathological process by itself, but it can be clinically significant if diagnostics and medical treatments are initiated based on the reported thrombocytopenia. Platelet clumping occurs with EDTA-dependent PTCP, resulting in inaccurate hematology analyzer platelet concentrations.

Basal cell tumor or cutaneous basilar epithelial neoplasm? Rethinking the cytologic diagnosis of basal cell tumors.

A 1-cm-diameter, red, raised, cutaneous mass over the dorsal surface of the left third metacarpal of a 6-year-old neutered male yellow Labrador Retriever was aspirated. The aspirate contained cohesive clusters of cells, some containing cells with increased pleomorphism. Cellular debris (some keratinized), melanin, large numbers of macrophages, a few neutrophils, and fibroblasts were also observed.

Cerebrospinal fluid analysis and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of neurologic disease in dogs: a retrospective study.

Background: Diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities in dogs can be challenging antemortem. Historically, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis has been used for routine diagnostic evaluation of animals with suspected neurologic disease; however, with increasing availability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the need for concurrent CSF analysis may be questioned.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess and compare the diagnostic information contributed from MR imaging and CSF analysis in a population of dogs presenting with neurologic disease.

Detection of activated platelets in canine blood by use of flow cytometry.

Objective: To evaluate whether markers of platelet activation, including P-selectin expression, phosphatidylserine exposure, platelet-leukocyte aggregates, and microparticle formation, could be measured in nonstimulated and stimulated canine blood samples and develop a standardized protocol for detection of activated platelet markers in canine blood.

Sample Population: Blood samples from 10 dogs.

Procedure: Platelet activation was determined by flow cytometric measurement of platelets with P-selectin expression, platelet-leukocyte aggregates, platelet microparticles, and platelets with phosphatidylserine exposure.

Thyroid follicular adenocarcinoma in a ferret.

A 5-year-old male castrated ferret was presented to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation of progressive hair loss and a large, rapidly growing ventral neck mass. The patient had been diagnosed previously with an insulinoma, which was managed medically. Fine-needle aspirates of the neck mass were performed.