Marco Augusto Machado Silva

Conventional and Doppler ultrasound for the differentiation of benign and malignant canine mammary tumours

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of conventional and Doppler ultrasound for differentiation of benign and malignant mammary tumours in female dogs. METHODS Mammary tumours were evaluated from 60 animals and divided into two distinct groups, group 1 (benign tumours) and group 2 (malignant tumours). The tumours were assessed by conventional ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound mode, histopathology and immunohistochemical detection of vascular endothelial growth factor. RESULTS Conventional ultrasound examination was found to be ineffective in separating tumours into the two experimental groups. Similarly, using colour-flow Doppler ultrasound, no correlation was found between the presence of vascularisation and its characteristics between the two groups. Triplex Doppler ultrasound yielded average maximum velocities of 28·71 cm/s for malignant and 19·91 cm/s for benign tumours, which were significantly different (P=0·01). For vascular endothelial growth factor, an average score of 2·22 was found for group 2 and 1·66 for group 1 (P=0·03). Positive correlations were found between vascular endothelial growth factor and presence of vascularisation (P=0·04 and r=0·3658) and between vascular endothelial growth factor and maximum velocity (P=0·03 and r=0·3913). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Doppler evaluation may be used to predict malignancy of mammary tumours in bitches.

Ovário-histerectomia vídeo-assistida com único portal em cadelas: estudo retrospectivo de 20 casos

The aim of the present study was to evaluate retrospectively the first 20 cases of single-port video-assisted ovariohysterectomy (SPVA-OSH) performed by an inexperienced surgeon. Twenty bitches submitted to SPVA-OSH were assessed. A 10mm operative rigid endoscope with one 5 mm working channel and bipolar coagulation was used. The trocar was positioned in the prepubic area of the abdomen. Surgical time and complication rates were assessed descriptively. Mean surgical time was of 22.95±5.17 minutes. Mild or moderate complications were present in six (30%) out of 20 bitches that were operated. The first five surgical procedures spent more time to be performed than the others. The longest transoperative momentum time of execution was spent in the approach to the left and right ovarian pedicles. The complications were: mild or moderate hemorrhage from one of the ovarian pedicles in four bitches (20%) and severe hemorrhage due to accidental puncture of the spleen with Veress needle in two animals (10%). SPVA-OSH was performed in bitches by an inexperienced surgeon, without severe complications.

Pure-transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) ovariohysterectomy in bitches: a preliminary feasibility study

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a relatively new surgical access for minimally invasive surgery, which is being widely studied in human medicine. However, few studies focusing on its applicability in the small animal practice have been performed so far. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility of pure-NOTES transvaginal ovariohysterectomy in bitches. Five bitches were evaluated. The abdomen was accessed through an 11mm trocar inserted through a vaginal incision. Using a rigid endoscope with working channel, the ovarian pedicles were coagulated and sectioned using bipolar diathermy. The uterine horn was pulled into the trocar and exteriorized along with the cannula. The uterine body and vessels were coagulated or ligated. The uterine stump was replaced into the abdominal cavity and the pneumoperitoneum drained. Pure-NOTES OHE was successfully accomplished in four out of five bitches. In the first try, it was converted to a hybrid-NOTES technique due to instrument failure. Mean surgical time was 52.1 (SD±11.5 minutes) for the pure-NOTES technique. Pure-NOTES OHE is feasible in bitches, which may result in no major complications and excellent surgical recovery.