Intestinal Lymphangiectasia in a Yorkshire terrier Dog: Clinical Outcome, Clinicopathological and Histopathological Findings

A 7-year-old, 3.16 kg intact male Yorkshire terrier had the history of abdominal distension, diarrhea, and weight loss. On the basis of history takings, physical examination, laboratory tests, radiography, ultrasonography, exploratory laparotomy, and histopathological examination, the dog was diagnosed definitely as intestinal lymphangiectasia. In this case, signs and results are consistent with those of other reports, but some clinicopathological findings such as hypocalcemia and hypocholesterolemia are not. This means that the findings were not completely in accord with the typical ones of intestinal lymphangiectasia in this dog. Prednisolone was prescribed to treat. However, it was not effective sufficiently. Thus, azathioprine was added to the regimen used in the first trial, and it was quite efficient in inducing remission in intestinal lymphangiectasia. The clinical signs were improved to the combined therapy. This case report demonstrates that the combined therapy for intestinal lymphangiectasia can be used as an alternative to only glucocorticoid therapy.

요크셔테리어견에서 발생한 Intestinal Lymphangiectasia: 임상적 결과와 임상병리학적, 조직병리학적 소견

3.16 kg의 몸무게를 가진, 7년령의 거세하지 않은 수컷 요크셔테리어견이 복부팽만, 설사, 체중감소로 내원하였다. 병력청취, 신체검사, 실험실검사, 방사선학적 검사, 초음파검사, 탐색적 개복술과 조직병리학적 검사 둥을 통해 최종적으로 intestinal lymphangiectasia로 진단되었다. 본 증례에서 나타난 증상과 여러 검사 결과들은 이전에 보고된 증상 및 결과와 대체로 일치하였으나, 저칼슘혈증과 저콜레스테롤혈증을 나타내지 않았다는 점에서 기존의 증례와 차이가 있었다. 처치법으로 프레드니솔론 (Prednisolone $Korns^(R)$, 한국 코러스, 충북, 한국, 2 mg/kg. 경구투여, 1일 2회)을 사용하였지만 효과가 없었다. 따라서, 아자싸이어프린 ($Azaprine^(R)$, 한국 유나이티드 제약, 충남, 한국, 1 mg/kg, 경구투 여, 1일 l회)을 추가하여 복용시킨 결과 임상증상이 개선되었다.