[Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen: clinical aspects in 52 dogs]

This study describes clinical aspects, treatment, and survival times of 52 dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen, presented at the Department of Veterinary Surgery, University of Munich, Germany. Depending on the dissemination of the disease the dogs were assigned to three clinical stages: 10 dogs were in stage I (tumor confined to the spleen without metastasis), 18 in stage II (tumor confined to the spleen or ruptured, with or without lymph node involvement but without distant metastasis) and 24 in stage III (with distant metastasis). Dogs in stage I displayed mild and nonspecific symptoms. In stage II and II, half of the patients were presented in shock or collapse after an acute rupture of the tumor. Sonographic examination was found superior in diagnosing splenic neoplasia when compared to radiography. Pronounced laboratory abnormalities were present mainly in patients in stages II or III with anemia, leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia and prolonged bleeding times predominating. Survival times following splenectomy were very variable. The median survival time was 100 days. Because of the high standard deviaton there was no statistically significant difference in survival times between animals of different stages.