Lymphoma is the most common hematopoetic neoplasm in dogs. It constitutes a heterogeneous group of cancers derived from lymphocytes at different stages of maturation. Follicular lymphoma is a low-grade cancer with benign clinical behavior, which arises from the neoplastic transformation and subsequent proliferation of B lymphocytes. This report describes a clinical case of follicular lymphoma diagnosed in a 6-year-old female Dalmatian. Diagnostic workup revealed an enlargement of the right submandibular lymph node without abnormalities in peripheral blood morphology and biochemistry, abdominal ultrasonography and thoracic radiography. The enlarged lymph node was surgically removed for histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. To determine the immunophenotype of neoplastic cells, flow cytometry analysis was carried out. On the basis of clinical and laboratory findings, follicular lymphoma stage I a (WHO classification) was diagnosed.
An 11-year-old, unsterilised Scottish Shepherd Collie bitch was brought to a veterinary clinic after a previous symptomatic treatment in another surgery. Clinical signs raised a suspicion of pyometra. Additional tests (radiological and ultrasound tests) revealed a change in the bladder that suggested a neoplastic process. The veterinarian decided to make a diagnostic laparotomy, during which, the animal was intraoperatively euthanised because of extensive changes in the bladder. A complete pathologic examination indicated emphysematous cystitis. Emphysematous cystitis is a rare disease in both humans and animals. It is often related to diabetes, chronic urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or the consequences of interventions on the bladder. In the bitch under examination, these changes resulted from a chronic inflammation of the bladder caused by Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, which was confirmed by bacteriological examination. The most important element for accurate diagnosis is to perform radiological examinations (X-ray, CT). Treatment mainly consists of antibiotics administered according to antibiogram.