Case summary A 7-year-old male neutered domestic longhair cat was presented with chronic progressive gynaecomastia, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss and poor fur regrowth. Sexualised behavioural changes were not reported and virilisation was not present on physical examination. Pertinent haematology, biochemistry and urinalysis findings at the time of referral included mild hypokalaemia. Left adrenomegaly and mild prostatomegaly were identified on a CT scan. Evaluation of adrenal hormones with a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test, serum progesterone, testosterone, oestradiol, plasma aldosterone, renin, plasma metanephrine and normetanephrine measurement supported a diagnosis of hyperprogesteronism, hyperaldosteronism and hypercortisolism. Adrenalectomy was performed and histopathology was consistent with an adrenocortical tumour. Clinical signs and hormone elevations resolved postoperatively. Relevance and novel information To our knowledge, this is the second report of gynaecomastia secondary to an adrenal tumour in a male neutered cat and the first associated with hyperprogesteronism.

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of the brain and spinal cord in humans with neuroangiostrongyliasis (NA) due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection has been well reported. Equivalent studies in animals are lacking. This case series describes clinical and MRI findings in 11 dogs with presumptively or definitively diagnosed NA. MRI of the brain and/or spinal cord was performed using high-field (1.5 T) or low-field (0.25 T) scanners using various combinations of transverse, sagittal, dorsal and three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted (T1W), transverse, sagittal and dorsal T2-weighted (T2W), T2W fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2*-weighted (T2*W) gradient echo (GRE), dorsal T2W short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and post-gadolinium transverse, sagittal, dorsal and 3D T1W and transverse T2W FLAIR sequences. In 4/6 cases where the brain was imaged, changes consistent with diffuse meningoencephalitis were observed. Evidence of meningeal involvement was evident even when not clinically apparent. The spinal cord was imaged in 9 dogs, with evidence of meningitis and myelitis detected in regions consistent with the observed neuroanatomical localization. Pathognomonic changes of neural larva migrans, as described in some human patients with NA, were not detected. NA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dogs with MRI evidence of focal or diffuse meningitis, myelitis and/or encephalitis, especially in areas where A. cantonensis is endemic. If not precluded by imaging findings suggestive of brain herniation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection for cytology, fluid analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing should be considered mandatory in such cases after the MRI studies.

OBJECTIVE To identify the optimal ventilation pressure for ventilated postmortem CT assessment of the lungs in cadaveric dogs and compare the optimal ventilation pressures between dogs with and without focal lung lesions. SAMPLE 12 cadaveric dogs. PROCEDURES CT was performed with dogs positioned in sternal recumbency within 30 to 180 minutes after death. After orotracheal intubation, lungs were aerated to ventilation pressures of 0, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm H2O. Lung attenuation measurements were made at 5 predetermined anatomical locations with use of a multi-image analysis graphic user interface tool. Lungs were considered hyperaerated (−1000 to −901 HU), normo-aerated (−900 to −501 HU), poorly aerated (−500 to −101 HU), and nonaerated (−100 to 100 HU) on the basis of lung attenuation values. Optimal ventilation pressure was defined as the pressure at which the percentage of normo-aerated lung was greatest. For analysis, dogs were assigned to one group when focal lung lesions were evident and to another group when lesions were not evident. RESULTS Median optimal ventilation pressure was significantly higher for those dogs with lung lesions (35 cm H2O), compared with those without (25 cm H2O). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A ventilation pressure of 35 cm H2O may be considered for ventilated postmortem CT to determine the presence of focal lung lesions; however, further investigation is required.

A six-year and six-month-old male neutered British Shorthair cat was referred for investigation of chronic thrombocytopenia and anaemia. On presentation, the cat was dull; however, physical examination was otherwise unremarkable. Complete blood count revealed moderate regenerative anaemia and thrombocytopenia. Serum biochemistry revealed hyperglycaemia. Thoracic radiographs showed two soft tissue opaque masses in the right cranial to mid thorax and in the left caudal lung lobe. CT revealed a multicameral soft tissue attenuating mass in the right cranial and middle lung lobes and an abnormal region of soft tissue attenuation in the left caudal lung lobe. It also revealed anomalous drainage of the caudal vena cava into the left atrium, generalised pulmonary vascular congestion, duplication of the posthepatic caudal vena cava and a suspect gastrophrenic portosystemic shunt.

This study aimed to validate previously published computed tomography (CT) derived mathematical equations with the true skin to lumbosacral epidural distance (SLED) in dog cadavers. Phase 1: The lumbar region of 11 dog cadavers were scanned in sternal recumbency to determine the effect of cranial, neutral, and caudal pelvic limb positioning on the CT derived lumbosacral epidural distance (CLED). Phase 2: The epidural space was determined using contrast epidurography, and the SLED was analysed against the mathematical equations using a body condition score (BCS) and either the cadaveric occipital-coccygeal length (OCL) (Equation (1): = 7.3 + 0.05*OCL + 16.45*BCS) or the ilium wing distance (IWD) (Equation (2): = 3.5 + 0.56*IWD + 16.6*BCS). There were no differences detected between the pelvic limb positions and the CLED. Both equations demonstrated strong correlations (Equation (1): r = 0.7196; Equation (2): r = 0.7590) with the SLED. The level of agreement was greater for Equation (1) than with Equation (2) (concordance coefficient 0.6061 and 0.3752, respectively). Equation (1) also demonstrated a closer fit to the concordance line compared with Equation (2) (bias correction factor 0.8422 and 0.4960, respectively). Further studies in live anaesthetised dogs will help to determine the usefulness of the pre-procedural knowledge when performing lumbosacral epidurals.