Ultrassonografia abdominal em cadelas com neoplasma mamário: estudo retrospectivo

Abstract

Mammary neoplasms in dogs have become relevant in Veterinary Medicine due to the high incidence and damage caused to the well-being and quality of life of affected female dogs. Histologically, breast neoplasms can be classified as benign or malignant depending on the characteristics identified. Benign ones are slow growing and noninvasive, while malignant ones are highly invasive, fast growing and can metastasize locally or systemically, with regional lymph nodes, lungs, liver and spleen being the main affected organs. Abdominal ultrasound is a screening exam performed to search for metastasis, which allows the identification and description of changes found, comparing them with normal standards and anatomical references. However, for a definitive diagnosis of the tumor type and its degree of malignancy, it is necessary to perform a histopathological examination, which is important for tumor staging, prognosis and adequate therapeutic approach. The objective of this study was to analyze the changes found in abdominal ultrasounds in female dogs with mammary neoplasms, arising from the routine of the Superintendency of the University Veterinary Hospital Unit (SUHVU - UFFS) Realeza-PR campus, from 2014 to 2021, to evaluate the use of ultrasound in the search and detection of metastases in abdominal organs. The study revealed that during the period analyzed, of the 158 female dogs evaluated, 39 (24.68%) had changes suggestive of abdominal metastasis. The most affected abdominal organs were the spleen (35.89%), lymph nodes (30.76%), liver (15.38%), adrenal glands (7.69%), among others, such as stomach, urinary bladder, gastro- hepatic and intra-abdominal. When correlating with the histopathological results of the breast chains, the most prevalent malignant neoplasms were carcinoma (87.3%) and the benign neoplasms were benign mixed tumor (16.1%). In relation to the ultrasound examinations that did not find any significant changes in the metastatic process, which accounted for 75.31% of the total (119/158), 42.01% of the patients underwent mastectomy and the histopathology of the lesions was excised. Of these, 24% obtained positive results for metastatic infiltration in the sentinel lymph node. Therefore, based on the results, ultrasound examination does not have high sensitivity in detecting metastatic processes, however, preoperative evaluation is essential for the purpose of staging, surgical planning and prognosis, as more studies in the area are needed. focusing on improving the abdominal ultrasound technique for metastasis research, mainly in locoregional lymph nodes.