Imaging diagnosis-hypoglycemia associated with cholangiocarcinoma and peritoneal carcinomatosis in a horse

Abstract

An 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare presented for decreased appetite, ataxia, and weakness. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a large volume of anechoic fluid along with multiple masses involving the spleen, liver, and diaphragm. Pleural fluid was identified via ultrasonography and thoracic radiography. Thoracic radiographs also identified pulmonary interstitial nodules, an undulant dorsal diaphragmatic margin and enlargement of tracheobronchial lymph nodes. Clinical signs of weakness and mild seizures were concurrent with hypoglycemic episodes. The final diagnosis was cholangiocarcinoma with extensive metastasis. Clinical signs of weakness, ataxia, and seizures were attributed to a paraneoplastic syndrome of tumor-associated hypoglycemia that has been infrequently reported in horses.

Keywords: abdominal; equine; hypoglycemia; neoplasia; seizures.