• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.309-314
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• 2007

A 7-year-old, intact female Korean Jindo dog was referred due to ataxia and pain on palpation of the thorax. Radiograph, echocardiography and computed tomogram revealed a mass on the heart base region and osteolytic change of fifth thoracic (T5) vertebra. At necropsy, a firm, encapsulated and round mass was seen arising from the heart base region surrounding the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery. Histopathologically, nests of cuboidal and polyhedral cells having abundantly granular and eosinophilic cytoplasm with round to oval nucleus were separated by fibrous septa. Immunohistochemistry using chromogranin A revealed that tumor cells were originated from neuroendocrine organ and metastasized into some organs including lung, spleen, liver, kidney and T5 vertebra. By electron microscopy, we found the electron-dense and membrane-bound granules in cytoplasm of the tumor cells. This study provides the uncommon evidence that aortic body tumor metastasized to both multiple organs and bone.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.310-314
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• 2021

Compared to the other chemodectoma, aortic body tumors, the carotid body tumor is rarer and more often malignant. In the present case, a 12-year-old, intact female Shih-tzu dog presented to the hospital with a right ventral cervical mass. The mass was diagnosed by immunohistochemical staining with chromogranin A (CgA) as a carotid body tumor. The cervical mass and metastasized lymph node were removed by surgical resection. Because the dog had valvular heart disease, chemotherapy with carboplatin was initiated over 6 months to prevent metastasis and recurrence as an adjunctive treatment. After over two years of management, tumor metastasis and recurrence were not observed until recently. This report shows that proper management and chemotherapy as an adjunctive therapy can treat carotid body tumors in elderly dogs with concurrent heart disease.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.407-411
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• 2014

A 12-year-old castrated male Pekingese dog was presented with weakness, exercise intolerance, and an episode of coughing started 2 weeks earlier upon presentation. Physical examination revealed a grade II/VI left systolic heart murmur. Echocardiographic examination revealed a pericardial effusion and a mass at the heart base located beside the left atrium. The mass beside the left atrium was also visible on the thoracic radiograph after drainage of the pericardial effusion. An aortic body tumor was definitely diagnosed based on postmortem histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining for specific markers. The dog lived 234 days after diagnosis with only medical management and without recurrence of the pericardial effusion.