Veterinary Clinical Pathology

BACKGROUND: Leukergy is the phenomenon of aggregation of leukocytes on a peripheral blood film, and in humans, it is used as an indicator of systemic inflammation and infection. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association of leukergy on blood film examination with biochemical and clinical evidence of systemic inflammation, infection, neoplasia, or specific organ system disease. METHODS: A case-control study using retrospective analysis (2017-2022) identified all canine and feline patients that had been presented to an academic referral center with a finding of leukergy on peripheral blood film and an equal number of species-matched controls...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Analytical performance specifications (APS) are vital for method evaluation and quality control validation. However, the limited availability of biological variation (BV) data, regulatory guidelines, and expert opinion (EO) may present challenges in veterinary medicine. The empirical biological variation (EBV) approach, based on population reference intervals (pRI), has emerged as an alternative method to derive APS in human medicine. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the practicality and usefulness of the EBV approach in deriving performance limits for various measurands in dogs and cats...

BACKGROUND: The introduction of intraoperative cytology revolutionized neurosurgical procedures in human medicine, providing real-time diagnostic guidance to surgeons and contributing to improved patient outcomes. In the realm of veterinary medicine, the understanding of pituitary tumors in dogs and cats remains limited due to challenges in obtaining antemortem samples of central nervous system lesions. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the cytologic features of pituitary adenomas in 12 dogs that underwent hypophysectomy...

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An 11-year-old neutered male Jack Russell Terrier was presented to Yuki Animal Hospital for regenerative anemia during the treatment of hypoadrenocorticism. A blood smear examination showed spherocytes, polychromatic erythrocytes, and erythrocyte ghosts. The direct agglutination test was positive at 37°C. The dog was then diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). Although prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil were administered, the hematocrit and reticulocyte count decreased, and nonregenerative anemia developed...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The objective of a quality system is to provide accurate and reliable results for clinical decision-making. One part of this is Quality Control (QC) validation. QC validation is not routinely applied in veterinary laboratories. This leads to the inappropriate usage of random QC rules without knowing the Probability of error detection (Ped ) and Probability of false rejection (Pfr ) of a method. In this paper, we will discuss why QC validation is important, when it should be undertaken, why QC validation is done, and why it is not commonly done...

BACKGROUND: The Sysmex XN-1000V automated hematology analyzer with multispecies software was released in June 2017 for use in research laboratories. Laser light, impedance, fluorescent staining, and fluorescent flow cytometry are used to analyze whole blood for CBC, reticulocyte counts, and WBC counts, including a 5-part differential leukocyte analysis. OBJECTIVES: A side-by-side comparison of the Sysmex XN-1000V with the Siemens ADVIA 120 in analyzing blood from healthy mice and rats will provide insight into the performance of the new analyzer and its capabilities for use in drug development studies...

A 26-year-old female sulfur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) was evaluated for vocalizing through the night and extending her right wing. Physical examination revealed a large, firm mass extending from the humerus to the distal aspect of the elbow. Computed tomography confirmed a large aggressive mass of the right distal humerus with a large soft tissue component, severe osteolysis, and adjacent periosteal proliferation. Fine-needle aspirates of the mass were most compatible with sarcoma, and osteosarcoma was prioritized...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In dogs, hemophilia A is known to affect different breeds. This is a case report describing hemophilia A in a litter of Border Collies. A privately owned bitch and her puppies (n = 7) were presented to the referring veterinarian after acute hematoma formation in the male offspring (n = 3) following microchip implantation. Global coagulation testing, as well as determination of factor VIII and IX activity, were carried out. Based on the results, factor VIII deficiency was suspected...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Silica from plastic red top sample collection tubes and barium cause recognized artifacts in slide preparations for microscopic examination. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate and directly compare the microscopic appearance of silica and barium particles and various slide preparation techniques (e.g., use of coverslips, oil immersion, and different stains). A secondary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of silica particles on cellular morphology after mechanical trauma with cytocentrifugation...

An 8-year-old, spayed female domestic shorthair cat was presented for acute weight loss, hyporexia, intermittent vomiting, and loose stools. A caudal abdominal mass and thickened intestinal loops were palpated on initial examination. An abdominal ultrasound identified a circumferential intramural jejunal mass with complete loss of wall layering, diffuse thickening of the jejunal muscularis, and jejunal and ileocecal lymphadenomegaly. Initial routine bloodwork revealed mild monocytosis and minimal lymphopenia with reactive lymphocytes...

B-cell leukemia is a rare form of hematologic neoplasia in sheep, especially in adult animals. We present a case report of a 5-year-old WhiteFace Sheep wether with suspected acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient, a second-generation relative of ewes experimentally inoculated with atypical scrapie, exhibited acute lethargy and loss of appetite. Laboratory investigation revealed marked leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, and abnormal serum chemistry panel results. Microscopic examination of blood and bone marrow smears exhibited a high percentage of large neoplastic cells with lymphoid characteristics...

BACKGROUND: Creatine kinase (CK) exists as three isoenzymes (CK-MM, CK-MB, and CK-BB) that are predominantly expressed in specific tissues and can be detected in both the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF CK has been relatively unstudied in veterinary medicine, although studies in human medicine have demonstrated that changes in total CSF CK activity can indicate neurologic abnormalities. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to establish reference intervals for CK and its three major isoenzymes in the serum and CSF of clinically healthy dogs...

Venous blood gases were analyzed with ABL90 FLEX in two cats with Heinz bodies in approximately 60% of the erythrocytes. The instrument demonstrated an inability to correctly report standard bicarbonate (stHCO3 - ), hematocrits, and hemoglobin concentrations by indicating an OXI spectrum mismatch alarm (ie, the spectrum of measured hemoglobin forms differed from the spectrum of calculated forms). Actual bicarbonate (aHCO3 - ) did not indicate any errors. The ABL90 FLEX uses spectrophotometry to measure hemoglobin, and the presence of Heinz bodies interfered with the measurement in these cases...

BACKGROUND: Adherence to traditional 24-h fasting periods for serum gastrin concentration in dogs can be challenging and may delay the institution of therapies for suspected hypergastrinemia. Peer-reviewed publications regarding serum gastrin reference intervals (RI) are lacking. Hypercalcemia is associated with hypergastrinemia in people; limited data exist in dogs. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to generate a RI for a 12-h fasted serum gastrin concentration in dogs and to investigate whether correlations exist with age, weight, sex, and total calcium concentration...