Prostatic adenocarcinoma with renal metastases in a dog diagnosed by contrast enhanced ultrasound - case report

Abstract

Prostate cancer in dogs belongs to the category of diseases that affect mainly elderly animals. Due to low frequency and slow development of this disease, the diagnosis and staging of these tumours present a challenge. The aim of this study was to highlight the role of contrast enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and staging in a case report of prostate adenocarcinoma in Rottweiler aged 7 years. Conventional ultrasound examination of the dog revealed a profoundly altered structure of the prostate, the presence of masses in both the kidney and liver parenchyma with hepatic veins consistent with turgor, and also a hyperechoic content of the gallbladder. Optimization of the examination with contrast substance revealed a vascular pattern of malignancy both in the prostate and kidney, and has excluded any bile and kidney determinations. Pathological examination revealed a primary tumour in the form of an anaplastic prostate adenocarcinoma with multiple secondary determinations in the lung, kidney and bone. Ultrasound enhanced with intravenously administered contrast substance is an optimal imaging technique that provides real-time information on the vascular space replacement formations behaviour in prostate and kidney, with a role in the diagnosis and staging of prostate tumours.