Surgical management of multiple uterine tumours in a dog

Uterine neoplasms are rare in canines and it accounts for less than 0.5% reproductive tract tumours.1 The neoplasms of the female tubular tract are almost 3% of all canine tumours and among that 85-90 % occur in vagina and vulva.2 The commonly reported histological type of tumours of the uterus is leiomyoma i.e 85 to 95 percent uterine tumors are benign (leiomyoma) and 10 percent are malignant (leiomyosarcomas).3 Leiomyoma is benign; slow growing, non-invasive, non-metastatic arising from smooth muscles of hollow organs.4 Steroid hormones, such as estrogens play a role in the pathogenesis of leiomyomas because it is observed that dogs with genital leiomyomas also have follicular cysts, estrogen-producing tumours, endometrial hyperplasia and mammary neoplasia.4 Clinical signs of the condition depend on the location, size of a tumour and also on the metastasis and sometimes accompanied with pyometra.5 In uterine leiomyoma symptoms includes abdominal distension accompanied with palpable abdominal mass, polydipsia, polyuria, anorexia and weight loss, vomiting, vaginal discharge, ascites and constipation.6 Abdominal radiography, ultrasonography can be used for diagnosis. Histopathology of the tumour mass is best in confirmation of the diagnosis.