Lih-Seng Yeh

Feline Hypertrophic Osteopathy: A Collection of Seven Cases in Taiwan

Between October 2003 and May 2004, seven cats were diagnosed with severe and extensive hypertrophic osteopathy of the appendicular skeleton without detectable underlying causes. All cats showed similar clinical signs of pain with progressive lameness of the limbs. One cat died shortly after presentation, whereas conditions of the others resolved after medical treatment and a change in diet. Regression of the bone lesions was observed radiographically in all surviving six cases.

Case Report: Eyelid Coloboma in a Domestic Short Haired Cat

A 5-month-old, intact male domestic short haired cat was referred to the National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital (NTUVH) because of bilateral severe ocular infection. The cat had bilateral upper eyelid coloboma (eyelid agenesis) with facial hairs irritated corneas. The eyelid defects were repaired by Roberts and Bistner technique, using the lower eyelid to re-construct the upper eyelids. Consequent trichiasis was corrected by blepharoplasty a few times. The final outcome of the feline eyes after surgery was good. Eyelid coloboma is sporadically reported in some breeds of cats, but it is the first case report in Taiwan.

Case Report: Failure of Urethropexy in Two Dogs with Urethral Prolapse

Urethral prolapse occurs most frequently in young, intact, male, brachycephalic dogs. Conventional treatment of choice is surgical resection of the prolapsed urethra and apposition of urethral and penile mucosa. Kirsch et al. recently described an urethropexy technique. By putting sutures into the urethral lumen, the prolapsed mucosa may be reduced and without causing significant complications. In this report, two canine cases with recurred urethral prolapse after urethropexy are presented. And possible causes of the recurrence are discussed.

Appendicular Osteosarcoma with Vicious Systemic Metastasis in a Young Beagle

Although skeletal tumor is predominantly a disease affecting elder large- and giant-breed dogs, its possibility in a small-sized, young dog can never be ruled out. A case of osteosarcoma involving the left proximal humerus in a 3.5 years old Beagle is described. With vicious systemic metastasis, the dog was euthanized with the survival time of 16 weeks after amputation of affected limb. In the management of canine osteosarcoma, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment including surgical excision and adjuvant chemotherapy are critical.

Case Report: Masticatory Muscle Myositis in a Dog

A 3-year-old, spayed female, mixbred dog was referred to the National Taiwan University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with an 8-month history of progressively decreased opening range of the mouth. The dog showed severe bilateral atrophy of the temporalis and masseter muscles. Unilateral mandibular condylectomy and short-term steroid had been given with some benefit. However, symptoms recurred after the steroid therapy was discontinued. Owing to the presence of a high serum antibody titer to type 2M muscle fibers, masticatory muscle myositis was diagnosed. The patient showed an excellent response to the immunosuppressive dosage of prednisolone with symptoms completely resolved. She is currently under long-term follow-up and the given dose of prednisolone is gradually tapering.

Case Report: Pyogranulomatous Panophthalmitis with Yeast-like Organism (Most Likely Exophiala spp.) Infection in a Dog

Mycotic uveitis is a fairly common cause of infections blindness in dogs and cats. A 8-year-old, intact female miniature Schnauzer dog presented with red and blind right eye (OD). Thorough ophthalmology examination showed severe endophthalmitis, blindness, and buphthalmia of the OD. No abnormal signs of general body health or systemic infection were noted on physical examination. Blood examination was also normal. The affected eye was scheduled to be enucleated. Topical ophthalmic drugs with Timolol Maleate 0.5% (Tirnolol((superscript tm))) TID, Diclofenac sodium 0.1% (Naclof((superscript tm))) TID and chloramphenicol 1% ophthalmic ointment QID were given from the attending day to the scheduled operating day. Enucleation was performed by trans-conjunctival approach and parts of inflammatory tissues were found to fill with pus. The enucleated eye submitted for pathological analysis revealed mycotic infection, most likely Exophiala spp, related to wood and soil saprophytes opportunistic fungal infection with characteristics of releasing brown-black pigments in tissues. The positive result of Grocotts methenamine silver stain also proved the microorganisms. The general health of patient was always good during follow-up examinations and the surgical wound was healed well. It is a rare ophthalmology case in which the eye is severely inflammed with fungal pyogranulomatous lesions whereas no signs of systemic infection were shown throughout the entire duration.

Suspected Oral, Mesentric and Cutaneous Metastasis of Uveal Melanoma in a Dog: A Case Report

A ten year-old intact male mongrel dog with black hair coat was referred to The National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital (NTUVH) because of enlarged left eye with corneal edema. Following anti-glaucoma medical treatment and pharmacologic ablation of ciliary body with failure, the eye with end-stage glaucoma was enucleated. An uveal melanoma with malignant features was diagnosed at surgery and pathological examination. Four months after surgery, subcutaneous masses on its back and gingiva were noted. Radiographic examination revealed a huge mass, with increased density in hilus of the lung. Laparotomy and masses excision from the abdomen was performed. The malignant melanoma with widespread metastasis was diagnosed following pathological results of the masses. The gingival mass recurred one month after surgery and the owner decided euthanasia of the dog.

The Effects on Intraocular Pressure with Intravitreal Injection of Cyclodestructive Gentamicin in Dogs with Persistent Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a common blinding disorder in animals due to raised intraocular pressure (IOP). The objective in this study was to evaluate the surgical outcome for treatment of end-stage glaucoma by intravitreal injection of cyclodestructive gentamicin. Sixteen eyes of twelve dogs at the National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital (NTUVH) from 2000 to 2002 diagnosed as persistent end-stage glaucoma were included in this study. Ophthalmic examination was performed by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and ophthalmoscopy. IOP was measured in every pre-operative and post-operative follow- up examination using an electronic applanation tomometer (Tonopen®XL). Surgical procedures included intravitreal injections of gentamicin 25 mg followed by dexamethasone 1 mg. The IOP was reduced in 87.5% of operated eyes (14/16 eyes) within a month postoperatively and 73% (8/11) of treated cases in a longer follow-up up to 8 months. Pre-operative mean IOP of 16 eyes was 54.2 mmHg (range from 40.6 to 90 mmHg) and post-operative mean IOP was 19.4 mmHg (range from 9.5 to 60.5 mmHg). Based on this small-scaled study, the intravitreal injection of gentamicin is effective in more than 70% of treated cases with persistent end-stage glaucoma.