Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M L Dulisch.
A 0.9 kg lipoma was removed surgically from the cranial mediastinum of an 11-year-old dog. Clinical signs related to the mass consisted of coughing and dyspnea. Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated and the clinical signs diminished immediately. The thoracic cavity is an unusual location for the development of a lipoma.
A 3-month-old English Bulldog was found to have a discontinuity between the ascending and descending aorta. There were no signs of illness associated with the interruption. The descending aorta was supplied with blood by collateral circulation. An aortic graft of woven synthetic material was surgically implanted to connect the ascending and descending aorta. Without any restrictions on the dog's activity, the dog has lived for over 1 year and continues to do well.
Plastic plates are a rapid and easy method to realign and stabilize the spinal column following a traumatic injury and may give greater bone-to-plate contact than metal plates. They distribute the pressure on the spinous processes over a larger surface area although plate slippage and spinous process fractures can occur as with any plate. Laminectomies should not be a routine procedure with plating but each patient should be evaluated individually and autogenous bone grafts may be used to advantage to promote fusion of vertebral bodies. In the two cases presented, the plastic plates achieved their purpose. However, it is essential that fusion of the vertebrae occurs before the plates slip or the spinous processes fracture.
Olfactory bulb lesions were diagnosed in four dogs presented for generalized seizure disorders. Surgery was performed on each dog using a transfrontal craniotomy. A free fascial-fat graft was used to cover the dural defect resulting from surgery. No major complications were observed during the immediate postoperative period. The histopathologic diagnosis in each case was meningioma. Generalized seizures recurred in all dogs, and three dogs were euthanized for this reason from 9 to 29 weeks postoperatively. One dog was euthanized 12 weeks after surgery due to pancreatitis and pneumonia. Necropsy showed that two dogs had recurrent olfactory bulb meningiomas, one dog had a meningioma of the opposite olfactory bulb, and one dog was tumor free.