This week’s case is a 13-year-old male neutered Chihuahua with recurrent urinary tract infections. It was found as a stray and castrated 4 years previously. What are your differential diagnoses?
Findings
Abdomen: The liver is mildly enlarged and extends beyond the costal arch. The gastrointestinal tract and spleen are normal. The kidneys are normal in size and shape. There is a soft tissue opacity, oval mass with stippled mineralization cranial to the pelvic inlet. The bladder is partially visible cranial to the mass, indicating its origin is the prostate gland.
Thorax: The cardiovascular structures are normal. No abnormalities are seen in the pulmonary parenchyma. The pleura and mediastinum are also normal. T13 is a transitional vertebra, and there is spondylosis deformans at T12-13 with disc space collapse.
Differential Diagnosis
- Prostatomegaly with mineralization is likely due to neoplasia, less likely prostatitis
- Part of the prostatic enlargement may be explained by late age at neutering
- Hepatomegaly (metabolic, inflammatory, infiltrative, toxic)
- No evidence of metastatic disease in the thorax
- Narrowed disc space T12-13 may indicate disc herniation
Diagnosis
Prostatic carcinoma with marked necrosis and suppurative, septic inflammation. No organisms were cultured.