Imaging findings of renal telangiectasia in a Maltese dog

Abstract

A 13-year-old neutered male Maltese dog presented with a three-month history of haematuria. The abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a large, multifocally-calcified left renal mass that was disrupting most of the renal parenchyma. Most of the areas of this mass did not show any contrast enhancement on the CT. After a nephrectomy, renal telangiectasia was diagnosed on the histopathology. Renal telangiectasia is a hereditary dysplastic blood vessel disease only previously reported in Pembroke Welsh Corgi. This is the first diagnostic imaging report of renal telangiectasia and the first report in a Maltese. Renal telangiectasia should be considered for the differential diagnosis of destructive renal masses with faint or no contrast enhancement on a CT, even in cases of unilateral renal involvement in Maltese dogs or those in non-corgi breeds.