Budd-Chiari Like Syndrome Associated with a Primary Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in a Dog

Abstract

A 10-year-old female crossbred dog of 6 kg bodyweight was presented with signs of marked abdominal distention. The abdominal skin vasculature appeared prominent. After an exhaustive physical examination, laboratory analysis (table 1) and imaging studies, the case was diagnosticated as Budd-Chiari like syndrome due to lung adenocarcinoma. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a neoplasia of 4 cm in diameter with irregular borders located in right accessory lung in contact with the caudal vena cava and surface thorax of the diaphragm. Immediately after sonographic diagnosis, the canine was admitted to intensive care and hemodynamically stabilized and submitted to surgery after 24 hrs. Then we made a exploratory thoracotomy with intention of achieve a lung lobectomy. After surgery chemotherapy with doxorrubicin 30 mg/m2 was administered. The objective of our study was to describe the image and pathological data findings in a dog with Budd-Chiari like syndrome; including sonographic findings, treatment and its response, in a syndrome that rarely affect small animals. Although no data are available on incidence of this disease in veterinary medicine, there is no doubt that this is a very serious illness despite its rare appearance. To our knowledge, this is one of the few cases where BCLS is reported associated to lung adenocarcinoma in veterinary medicine.