Search

This study was conducted to evaluate and describe presenting clinical signs, course, management, and outcome of small animal patients that suffered severe traumatic hemoperitoneum. The medical records of 28 blunt trauma patients diagnosed as having hemoperitoneum and requiring the transfusion of blood products for stabilization were analyzed. The survival rate was 16/28 (57%). Six patients died from natural causes, and six patients were euthanized. Euthanized patients were not considered for the analysis of outcome. The survival rates for six animals that had surgical intervention and 16 animals that were treated medically were 67% and 75%, respectively. Statistically, larger animals had a better prognosis (p less than 0.05, unpaired t-test) for survival. Presenting clinical signs, packed cell volume (PCV), peripheral pulse rate, effusion PCV, site of intra-abdominal hemorrhage, and age were not found to correlate statistically with survival nor with the decision to perform an abdominal exploratory.

Background: Feline visceral hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an uncommon tumor, and the clinical progression and outcome are rarely reported. Hypothesis: The prognosis of feline visceral HSA is poor because of severe clinical signs, anemia, and a high rate of metastasis. Animals: The medical records of 26 client-owned cats with visceral HSA were reviewed. Methods: Multi-institutional retrospective study. Results: The most common historical findings and clinical signs included lethargy, anorexia, respiratory difficulty, collapse, and vocalizing. Eighty-two percent of cats were anemic, and aspartate transaminase was increased in 53% of the study population. Metastatic lung disease was noted in 33% of affected cats. In 75% of the cats, abdominal ultrasonography identified a specific location of HSA. However, ultrasound identification of all multifocal lesions was successful only in 3/9 cats (33%). Tumor location was identified in the following organs: liver (35%), small intestine (31%), large intestine (31%), abdominal lymph node (31%), mesentery (27%), spleen (23%), lung (19%), omentum (12%), brain (8%), pancreas (8%), and diaphragm (8%). Multifocal HSA was noted in 77% of cats. Three cats received adjuvant chemotherapy (doxorubicin). Seventy-one percent of euthanized cats were euthanized within 1 day of diagnosis. The median survival time of the remaining cats (n = 6) was 77 days (range, 23–296 days). Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Feline visceral HSA is most often multifocal at the time of diagnosis. The prognosis appears poor, and the number of cats receiving chemotherapy is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]