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This retrospective case series describes 21 dogs with stage II splenic haemangiosarcoma (HSA) and spontaneous haemoabdomen treated with splenectomy followed by a doxorubicin–cyclophosphamide protocol. Median overall survival was 92 days, with longer survival observed in dogs completing three or more chemotherapy cycles. The regimen was well tolerated, with low haematological and gastrointestinal toxicity. Maintenance metronomic chemotherapy was administered in a small subset, and it was associated with prolonged survival. While the sample size is modest, the homogeneous and clinically specific cohort provides hypothesis-generating observations on feasibility, tolerability, and time-aware associations that warrant cautious interpretation and prospective confirmation. No clinical or laboratory variable at diagnosis was independently associated with outcome. While limited by retrospective design and small sample size, this study provides focused data on a specific clinical presentation and supports the feasibility of structured adjuvant treatment in dogs with splenic HSA and haemoabdomen.

Case summary An 8-year-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat was referred for further investigations of lethargy, polyuria, polydipsia, hyporexia and weight loss. One month prior, the cat had been diagnosed with normotensive and non-proteinuric chronic kidney disease and a single small well-defined splenic nodule thought to represent a benign process. Specialist abdominal ultrasonography documented changes suggestive of pyelonephritis alongside a solitary splenic mass (2 cm in size). Follow-up imaging 4 weeks later showed progression of the splenic mass (3.5 cm) and a novel marked anaemia. Splenectomy and histopathology were performed, which confirmed a diagnosis of splenic haemangiosarcoma. The cat was started on metronomic thalidomide (5 mg/kg PO q24h; BOVA) 16 days postoperatively. The cat re-presented to the referring veterinary practice 169 days after splenectomy (153 days after starting metronomic thalidomide) owing to lethargy and hyporexia. Abdominal ultrasound identified a solitary hepatic mass and free peritoneal fluid; the cat was subsequently euthanased without further investigations. Relevance and novel information This is the first published case report documenting the management of splenic haemangiosarcoma in a cat with splenectomy and metronomic thalidomide. Our observations indicate that survival time falls in line with other chemotherapeutic protocols and that thalidomide side effects were limited to mild polyphagia and moderate sedation, which was tolerated well if the drug was administered in the evening.

A dog (neutered male, 11 years old, Labrador retriever) underwent abdominal ultrasound, which revealed a 7 cm diameter tumour (caudal region of the left kidney). The animal showed symptoms of weight loss, apathy, haematuria, and abdominal pain. A computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the presence of a tumour originating from the ureter. Following surgery to remove the ureter with the attached kidney, a histopathological examination was performed. The tumour was classified as a haemangiosarcoma. After the initial recovery, 2 months after surgery, the dog was diagnosed with a tumour in the other kidney. A fine needle biopsy was carried out. A haemangiosarcoma metastasis was suspected. Neoplasms of the ureter are a rare pathology. This is the first case in which metastasis to the second kidney has been confirmed.

A 7‐year‐old intact Netherlands Dwarf rabbit with bloody discharge from the vulva underwent ovariohysterectomy. Grossly, both sides of the uterus were enlarged. Histologically, the tumour had formed protruded from the myometrial wall toward the serosa and was composed of irregular small capillaries with irregularly shaped structures and bundled proliferation of spindle‐shaped cells. No tumour cells infiltrated the endometrium. The tumour cells were positive for CD31, and histological and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the diagnosis of haemangiosarcoma. Vascular tumours in the uterus of animals are uncommon, and only one case has been reported in the uterus of rabbits. Graphical image of the uterine haemangiosarcoma in a Netherland Dwarf rabbit. (A) Gross appearance of a uterine haemangiosarcoma in a rabbit. The entirety of the right uterus and the area from the opening to the central part of the left uterus is enlarged. The vagina, which is the surgical margin of the resection, is dark red. (B‐E) Histological and immunohistochemical findings of a uterine haemangiosarcoma in a rabbit. (B) The mass is located in the myometrium (★) and poorly differentiated spindle‐shaped tumour cells proliferate (⁂), forming fascicular or vascular‐like structures with necrotic foci (*). (C) Tumour cells have oval nuclei and moderate‐to‐small amounts of spindle‐shaped eosinophilic cytoplasm. Nuclei vary in size, with distinct nucleoli and abundant mitotic figures (arrowheads) (D and E). Immunohistochemical staining reveals that the tumour cells are positive for the CD31 antigen. Scale bars: (A) 1 cm, (B)‐(E) 25 μm.

Brain metastases (BM) represent an unmet medical need in human medicine, and they are poorly documented in dogs. The aim of this multi‐centre retrospective study was to report the clinical characteristics, primary solid cancer histology, advanced imaging findings, treatment modalities and potential prognostic factors in dogs with presumed BM that occurred either at the time of initial diagnosis or during follow‐up. BM diagnosis was established through either imaging studies or histologic examination of specimens obtained during necropsy. A total of 58 client‐owned dogs with histologically proven solid cancer and BM were included. Clinicopathologic variables, BM characteristics based on imaging and survival post‐BM (SPBM) were recorded. Haemangiosarcoma (53.4%) and carcinoma (27.6%) were the most common primary tumour histotypes, followed by melanoma (12.1%) and undifferentiated sarcoma (6.9%). Synchronous BM and solitary BM occurred in 63.8% and 51.7% of dogs, respectively. The prosencephalus was most commonly affected, with 79% of dogs showing neurologic deficits. Antitumoural or palliative treatment was attempted in a minority of dogs, with no improved outcome. The median SPBM was 3 days (range, 1–255). The 3‐ and 6‐month survival rates were 8.6% and 1.7%, respectively. Dogs with haemangiosarcoma (OR: 7.6; 95% CI, 2.2–25.8; p = 0.001) and those with distant metastases at presentation (OR: 16; 95% CI, 4.2–60.9; p < 0.001) had an increased likelihood of developing synchronous BM. Haemangiosarcoma and carcinoma were the tumours most frequently associated with BM, which were more commonly synchronous and symptomatic, with a high incidence of forebrain localization. The prognosis was poor, regardless of the primary cancer type. Brain metastases (BM) are poorly documented in dogs. The aim of this study was to report the clinical characteristics, primary solid cancer histology, advanced imaging findings, treatment modalities and potential prognostic factors in dogs with BM. A total of 58 dogs with histologically proven solid cancer and BM were included. Haemangiosarcoma and carcinoma were the tumours most frequently associated with BM, which were more commonly synchronous and symptomatic, with a high incidence of forebrain localization. The prognosis was poor, regardless of the primary cancer type.

A 12-year-old entire domestic shorthair was evaluated for a 5 week history of intermittent vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a multi-lobulated heterogeneous mass adjacent to the mesenteric vessels. Cytology from fine-needle aspirates was non-diagnostic. Histopathology from a Tru-cut biopsy was consistent with haemangiosarcoma. The cat was treated with metronomic chemotherapy using oral cyclophosphamide. The cat remained clinically well and was euthanased 10 months after diagnosis owing to development of a haemoabdomen. Prognosis of feline abdominal haemangiosarcoma is generally poor and limited information on treatment is available in the veterinary literature. The use of metronomic chemotherapy with oral cyclophosphamide in this cat provided a 10 month period of good-quality life.

Canine thyroid tumours are uncommon and the majority of tumours are carcinomas or adenomas, with only very few mixed tumours or metastases from distant sites described to date. A primary thyroid haemangiosarcoma has never been reported in veterinary medicine. In this case report, we describe a dog with a history of a large, non-painful, mobile ventral neck mass in the right paralaryngeal region. CT and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates were used for clinical staging. The mass was surgically excised and histopathological examination indicated a haemangiosarcoma. Abdominal ultrasound revealed the presence of splenic nodules and splenectomy indicated the presence of haemangiosarcoma. Chemotherapy with doxorubicin was started, but the dog was euthanased after three rounds of therapy, 97 days after the mass was discovered.

A 2-year-old male neutered Doberman was presented with a 2-week history of progressive right hind limb lameness and a firm swelling on the right proximal tibia. Medio-lateral radiograph of the stifle joint revealed an osteolytic lesion of the proximal tibia, with extensive cortical and periosteal changes and soft tissue swelling. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the lesion was performed as well as tissue biopsy. Cytological examination revealed a spindle cell proliferation, and histological examination was supportive of haemangiosarcoma, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry using an anti-factor VIII antibody. The patient underwent right hindquarter limb amputation with coxo-femoral disarticulation. Histological examination of the amputated leg revealed infiltration of the fibrous and muscular tissue adjacent to the stifle joint. The patient received three intravenous doxorubicin treatments once every 3 weeks. The owner reported that the patient was euthanized 9 months after first diagnosis. Haemangiosarcoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis for osteolytic bone lesions. A thorough staging and adjuvant chemotherapy should be advised in patients with monostotic disease due to the high metastatic rate.

A retrospective case-control study was conducted based on the records of 80 dogs with visceral haemangiosarcoma (HSA) and 200 dogs with various diseases that had clinical features similar to HSA. All dogs were more than 1 year old, had histologically confirmed disease, and had a complete blood count performed prior to the final diagnosis. A standard protocol was used to count acanthocytes on one blood film from each dog. Acanthocyte count had a maximum diagnostic sensitivity of 53.8% (and specificity of 61.5%) at a cutpoint of ≥1 acanthocyte/2,000 red blood cells. A diagnostic specificity of 100% (and sensitivity of 7.5%) was achieved at a cutpoint of >71 acanthocytes/2,000 red blood cells. The precision of acanthocyte count, within and between raters, varied from poor (unweighted kappa = 0.26) to good (weighted kappa = 0.71) due to the subjective nature of the identification of acanthocytes. Although dogs with acanthocytes were more likely to have HSA (P=0.02), and dogs with HSA had higher acanthocyte counts than controls (P=0.003), acanthocyte count had limited ability to distinguish between dogs with HSA and unaffected dogs with similar signs, as indicated by the receiver operator characteristic plot, which lay approximately along the diagonal. There was no level of acanthocytosis at which HSA could be ruled out, and although HSA could be ruled in at counts >71 acanthocytes/2,000 red blood cells, only six of the 80 dogs with HSA in the study could be identified by this cutpoint.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]