Diagnostic imaging of a mass-shape hepatic steatosis in a dog treated with chemotherapy

Abstract

A left medial liver mass was found through the monitoring of the metastasis in a 15-years-old, spayed female Maltese dog. The patient had a history of chemotherapy with carboplatin after surgical resection of the mammary gland tumour. Ultrasonography (US) showed a massive hyperechoic mass in the left liver. The left medial liver mass was identified as a poorly demarcated, hypoattenuated area on the non-enhanced and all the phases of contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The liver mass was surgically removed and the histopathological examination showed a fatty deposition and no evidence of neoplasm. Based on the patient’s history, diagnostic imaging and histopathological findings, the liver mass was considered as a chemotherapy-induced hepatic steatosis. This report provides the diagnostic imaging characteristics of the hepatic steatosis that could help differentiate it from a malignancy in a dog treated with chemotherapy.