[Sonographically detectable splenic disorders in dogs with malignant lymphoma]

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Canine Oncology

Background:

• Malignant lymphoma is a common cancer in dogs.
• Splenic abnormalities can be indicative of various diseases.
• Sonographic evaluation of the spleen is a key diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of splenic sonographic findings in dogs with different forms of malignant lymphoma.
• To investigate the occurrence of the moth-eaten splenic pattern in non-lymphoma cases.
• To assess the diagnostic value of the moth-eaten pattern for canine malignant lymphoma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of ultrasonographic and histological/cytological data from 164 dogs diagnosed with malignant lymphoma.
• Evaluation of splenic parenchyma for the moth-eaten pattern.
• Exclusion of cases treated with cytostatic agents prior to diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Eighty-four percent of dogs with malignant lymphoma showed altered splenic patterns on ultrasound.
• The moth-eaten pattern was present in 94 dogs, significantly associated with multicentric lymphoma (95%).
• The positive predictive value of the moth-eaten pattern for malignant lymphoma was 99%, and 95% for multicentric lymphoma.

Conclusions:

• Sonographic splenic changes are common in dogs with malignant lymphoma, regardless of anatomical form.
• The moth-eaten splenic pattern is a highly specific indicator of malignant lymphoma, particularly multicentric lymphoma.
• This finding aids in the early and accurate diagnosis of canine lymphoma.