Effect of Pancreatic Tissue Sampling on Serum Pancreatic Enzyme Levels in Clinically Healthy Dogs

Abstract

Abstract. Little is known about the potential consequences of pancreatic tissue sampling in dogs. The goal of the present study was to evaluate changes in serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity and canine-specific pancreatic lipase after pancreatic fine-needle aspiration and surgical biopsy in 27 clinically healthy dogs. Presurgical, ultrasound-guided aspiration of the pancreas was performed with the dogs under sedation. Subsequently, all the dogs underwent intraoperative pancreatic fine-needle aspiration and clamshell biopsy. After euthanasia, pancreata were sectioned for histopathologic evaluation. Serum pancreatic enzyme levels were measured at 3 time points: baseline, after ultrasound-guided aspiration, and after intraoperative aspiration and biopsy. No significant differences were detected among mean serum pancreatic lipase values at any point (P . 0.05). Serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity did not change from baseline (18.2 6 2.1 mg/dl; mean 6 standard error) after ultrasound-guided aspiration (13.6 6 2.2 mg/dl) but increased significantly after intraoperative sampling (44.8 6 1.9 mg/dl; P , 0.0005). After surgical biopsy, the 20 dogs that had both ultrasound-guided and intraoperative sampling had a higher mean (SE) serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity (44.8 6 1.9 mg/dl) than the 7 dogs that had only intraoperative samples taken (36.4 6 4.1 mg/dl; P , 0.05). All 27 pancreata were grossly normal before intraoperative sampling. Pancreatic sampling was associated with increased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity and mild, peracute necrosis, inflammation, hemorrhage, and fibrin deposition. Tissue damage from sampling was not sufficient to cause an elevation in canine-specific pancreatic lipase in the time frame evaluated. Further studies are needed to determine longer-term effects of pancreatic sampling on enzyme levels and clinical outcome.

Cytologic findings and diagnostic yield in 92 dogs undergoing fine-needle aspiration of the pancreas

“…5 The markedly improved yield in sick dogs could be due to inhibition of exfoliation by extensive fibrovascular stroma in the healthy pancreas. 5 This yield is slightly higher than the 67% reported for cats.…”

“…5 The markedly improved yield in sick dogs could be due to inhibition of exfoliation by extensive fibrovascular stroma in the healthy pancreas. 5 This yield is slightly higher than the 67% reported for cats. 6 The major pathologic process agreed with confirmatory testing in 11 out of 12 cases with diagnostic cytology samples.…”

“…3 Pancreatic cytology samples were evaluated by a single board-certified veterinary clinical pathologist (LCS) with the previously described healthy Beagle dogs as a reference population. 5 Cellularity was characterized as poor, adequate, or optimal, and blood contamination as none, mild to moderate, or marked. Greater than 80% neutrophils indicated suppurative inflammation and <80% neutrophils with other cells indicated mixed inflammation.…”

“…6 Another study of 27 healthy Beagle dogs documented that ultrasound-guided FNA of the pancreas did not cause immediate adverse effects, and FNA and biopsy did not cause a change in cPL values with short-term followup. 5 Endoscopic ultrasound-guided FNA also appears to be safe in healthy dogs. 12 Pancreatic FNA has been used anecdotally to diagnose pancreatic pseudocysts, exocrine pancreatic neoplasia, and islet cell tumors.…”

Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Ultrasound‐Guided Fine Needle Aspiration of the Pancreas in Dogs

“…The median total EUS examination time including the EUS-guided FNA was 112 minutes (range, 105-138); the actual EUS-FNA procedure of the pancreas required a median of 14 minutes (range, [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. By means of the pylorus and cranial duodenal flexure as landmarks, the body of the pancreas could be identified in all 13 dogs.…”