Primary Jejunal Histiocytic Sarcoma with Spontaneous Perforation in a Dog

Abstract

An 8-year-old spayed female Jack Russell Terrier presented with acute bacterial peritonitis. Laparotomy revealed two jejunal perforation sites, both of which were surgically resected. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed that both lesions were histiocytic sarcomas. The dog recovered uneventfully, and received seven treatments of intravenous carboplatin. There were no recurrences of visible tumors or perforative peritonitis until the dog died at postoperative day 185 due to chronic diarrhea of unknown causes. This is the first report of canine primary jejunal histiocytic sarcoma; the present case suggests that spontaneous perforation may occur even in small lesions for which surgical resection is useful.

Pathology in Practice

“…Findings for the dog of the present report were unusual inasmuch as the HS appeared to have been localized to the intestinal tract at the time of surgery. To our knowledge, there are only 3 other reports of canine gastrointestinal HS, 2 of which were localized and confined to the stomach, 9,10 and 1 which was localized to the jejunum, 11 similar to the present case. Symptoms associated with localized HS are generally related to the specific organ affected, 1 such as vomiting, diarrhea, and signs of abdominal pain in dogs with gastric HS.…”

“…Symptoms associated with localized HS are generally related to the specific organ affected, 1 such as vomiting, diarrhea, and signs of abdominal pain in dogs with gastric HS. 9,10 The single case report 11 of a jejunal HS in a dog describes focal tumor perforation with signs referable to peritonitis at the time of presentation (similar to the dog of the present report), and the authors of that report opined that even small lesions of HS in the intestine may be prone to perforation.…”