Urinary bladder torsion in a dog with an extraluminal tumor of the bladder apex

Abstract

AbstractA 12‐year‐old, spayed female, Lagotto Romagnolo dog is referred because of acute onset of stranguria, dysuria and abdominal discomfort after jumping from a height. Clinical examination reveals mild abdominal pain with enlargement of the urinary bladder and no hematological abnormalities. Computer tomographic examination identifies a large eccentric soft tissue mass with smooth margins, which contacts the serosal layer of the urinary bladder apex. The urinary bladder is pear‐shaped, displaced laterally, and has a longitudinal spiral pattern (whirlpool sign) in the bladder neck area. Celiotomy reveals a mass attached to the apex of the urinary bladder, which has a clockwise 180° torsion with no signs of necrosis. Partial cystectomy, after detorsion, is performed, and bladder incision is closed routinely. Histopathologic evaluation reveals a grade 1 leiomyosarcoma. Although urinary bladder torsion has been reported in five dogs, neoplastic lesions have not previously described as a cause of torsion and should be included in the differential diagnosis.