Happy new year! Today’s case is a 12-year-old female spayed Labrador-Border Collie cross presented to Emergency Services after becoming recumbent and having difficulty breathing this evening. What are your findings?
Findings
The abdomen is distended, and there is poor peritoneal detail throughout the abdomen with a mottled appearance. There is also a mass effect in the cranial abdomen, seen best on the lateral projection caudal to the liver. The remainder of the abdominal organs are obscured by the poor detail.
Differential Diagnosis
- peritoneal effusion (carcinomatosis, peritonitis, hemorrhage, transudate)
- abdominal mass (spleen, liver, pancreas)
Diagnosis
Ultrasound examination revealed a large splenic mass. Cytology of the abdominal effusion showed acute hemorrhage. Hemorrhagic pleural effusion was also present, and diffuse hemangiosarcoma was suspected.
Is there also a pleural effusion seen at the edge of the lateral view? Or is that just fat?