Successful surgical excision of periaortic hemangiosarcoma in a dog

This report describes the management and outcome of periaortic hemangiosarcoma in a dog. An 8-year-old neutered male Siberian husky was referred for surgical intervention for an incidentally diagnosed caudal mediastinal mass. The dog was initially admitted for total ear-canal ablation due to a chronic unresolved left otitis externa/media. A head and chest CT scan obtained before surgery revealed an incidental, but large, caudal mediastinal mass. This scan also incidentally included most of the abdomen and showed no primary abdominal lesions. The dog underwent surgical excision of the caudal mediastinal mass 8 d after the CT scan. Surgery consisted of a lateral thoracotomy to excise the caudal mediastinal mass before considering surgical treatment of the ear. Complete surgical excision of the periaortic mass was completed. Histopathology revealed a diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. The owners declined chemotherapy and the dog was euthanized 86 d later because of owner-perceived declining quality of life. Key clinical message: This case report describes, for the first time, successful surgical management and outcome for periaortic hemangiosarcoma. We propose that surgical excision of this type of mass is possible in a clinical setting, with prognosis similar to that for other visceral hemangiosarcoma.