Case Study

Irregular pancreatic limb and small linear gastric foreign body in an 11 year old FS mixed breed dog

An 11-year-old FS mixed breed dog was presented for vomiting undigested food nightly for about 2 weeks. Abnormalities on laboratory testing included elevated liver enzyme activity and hyperkalemia. On survey radiographs, an oblong, poorly defined, soft tissue density in or around the stomach was evident.

Sonographic Differential Diagnosis

Thickened, irregular right pancreatic limb. Chronic thickened stomach with 1.3 cm shadowing luminal structure.

Image Interpretation

The right and left limbs of the pancreas presented a thickened, irregular, right pancreatic limb with undulation of the capsule and pancreatic duct. The stomach in this patient was thickened with aspects of hypertrophic pyloric gastropathy. A 1.3 cm sharp shadowing structure was noted in the otherwise empty stomach.

DX

Thickened, irregular pancreatic limb, thickened stomach with shadowing luminal structure.

Outcome

Two months later the owner reported that the dog was doing well and had gained weight.

Comments

Biopsies of the pancreas would be recommended at the time of surgery as well as gastric biopsy and evacuation of the gastric lumen with the 1.3 cm structure that may represent a simple stick or other relatively benign structure. However, this may be responsible for the clinical signs of vomiting 4-6 hours postprandial.