Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How vets diagnose hepatocutaneous syndrome in dogs
By DeMarle, Karah Burns et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital AssociationĀ·2021Ā·From Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Approach to the Diagnosis of Hepatocutaneous Syndrome in Dogs: A Retrospective Study and Literature Review.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with severe skin lesions, particularly on their paw pads, were diagnosed with hepatocutaneous syndrome (HCS), a serious condition that can be linked to liver problems. The study found that measuring amino acids in the blood could help identify HCS without invasive procedures. An abdominal ultrasound showed a specific liver appearance in most dogs with HCS, which helped distinguish it from a similar condition caused by pancreatic tumors. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, as HCS can be life-threatening.
People also search for: dog skin problems paw pads Ā· hepatocutaneous syndrome treatment Ā· dog liver disease symptoms
Abstract
Superficial necrolytic dermatitis (SND) is a rare and often fatal disease in dogs that has been associated with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasia (SND/EN) and hepatocutaneous syndrome (SND/HCS). Although various combinations of diagnostics have been used to differentiate these two causes of SND, there are currently no data on which combination would enable the most timely and noninvasive way to diagnose HCS. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively (2004-2018) for dogs with SND/HCS (n = 24) and SND/EN (n = 1). These data were compared with cases found by review of the literature of dogs with SND/HCS (n = 105) and SND/EN (n = 13). The most consistent findings with SND were dermatological lesions affecting paw pads or mucocutaneous junctions (143/143, 100%) and marked plasma hypoaminoacidemia (58/58, 100%). On ultrasound, a honeycomb liver was seen in 62/63 (98%) dogs with SND/HCS but none with SND/EN. Six out of 23 (26%) dogs in the retrospective study with SND/HCS had marked keratinocyte apoptosis, a finding that was associated with diabetes mellitus. This study suggests that in dogs with characteristic skin lesions, an amino acid profile permits a noninvasive diagnosis of SND. An abdominal ultrasound can then assist in the differentiation of SND/HCS and SND/EN.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33260213/