• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.464-468
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• 2015

A 6-year-old, intact male maltese was presented with hindlimb ataxia of 4 day duration. Physical and neurological examinations revealed a bright, alert, and responsive dog, with no evidence of cranial nerve deficits, conscious proprioceptive deficits. Spinal reflexes of the hind and forelimbs were normal. Patellar, cranial tibial, and withdrawal reflexes were normal. Pain could not be elicited on manipulation of the neck or palpation of the spinal column. Survey radiographs of the vertebral column were unremarkable. Computed tomography (CT) scans in the transverse plane were performed. The results of CT imaging were unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in both sagittal and transverse planes was performed. The extent of the lesion was 25 mm in length by 4 mm in thickness. The spinal cord was deviated ventrally and appreared thinner. On T1-weighted and FLAIR images, a discrete hypointense lesion dorsal to the spinal cord was observed at L1-2 which was contiguous with the subarachnoid space. On T2-weighted images, this region was hyperintense, consistent with a fluid-filled structure. The signal intensity of the cysts was equivalent to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Surgical treatment involving dorsal laminectomy had successful outcomes.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.488-493
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• 2012

Two Maltese (2-year-old, intact female and 4-month-old, intact female) and a Pekingese (10-year-old, intact male) dogs were referred due to vomiting, anorexia, head-pressing and hypersalivation. Physical examinations, complete blood count, serum chemical analysis, radiography, ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) were evaluated. Laboratory findings in these dogs included high hepatic enzyme, serum bile acid and ammonia concentration. Microhepatia was found on abdominal radiographs in two dogs. The existence of portosystemic shunt was presented in abdominal ultrasonography. The shunt vessel was identified in all dogs by CT imaging. Based on three-dimensional CT reconstruction, the origin and termination of each shunt vessel were defined certainly. In consequence, each dog was diagnosed single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt. After diagnosis, surgical treatment was performed in all dogs. This case report describes clinical finding, imaging characteristics, and three-dimensional CT imaging of single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt cases.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2014

An 11-year-old intact female Maltese was referred because of 1 week history of cluster seizure episodes. Based on brain CT scan, brain tumor was strongly suspected. The patient was euthanized according to client's request and we performed necropsy after euthanasia. The gross findings of the postmortem coronal sections of the brain showed that the mass was relatively well-demarcated, reddish in colored, and was present inside the left lateral ventricle and compressed adjacent tissues. The tumor mass had 2 distinct histopathological features: perivascular pseudorosette-like structures and a whirl-like arrangement of fibrillary cells. The immunohistochemical profile showed strong GFAP positivity and moderate S-100 expression, sparsely dotted staining with Ki-67. Based on the histopathological and immunohistochemical findings, the present case diagnosed to ependymoma.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2016

A 1.86 kg, 3-year-old, female, Maltese was presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University after being hit by a car. The patient was diagnosed with urinary bladder rupture, diaphragmatic hernia and fracture of ilium, tibia and fibula. Repair surgery was performed after stabilizing treatment. During the surgery, hypoxia was identified and it worsened after positive pressure ventilation (partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood ($PaO_2$): 52 mmHg, pulse oximetry ($SpO_2$): 87%, arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation ($SpO_2$): 85.8%). In addition to hypoxia, blood pressure decreased to 30 mmHg. Positive pressure ventilation was discontinued because hypoxia and hypotension were aggravated. After suturing the diaphragm, air was withdrawn to form negative pressure within the thorax. However, negative pressure was not attained despite continuous withdrawal of air. A thoracostomy tube was placed because tension pneumothorax was strongly suspected. The patient recovered through close monitoring with the tube for 3 days. Due to limitation of evaluation of the lung, predicting occurrence of tension pneumothorax is difficult in patient of diaphragmatic hernia. Therefore, it is recommended that indicators of tension pneumothorax should be closely monitored during diagnosis and repair procedures of diaphragmatic hernia.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.284-288
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• 2010

The aim of this report is to compare quantitatively computed radiography (CR) and screen-film radiography (SFR) in the detection of peritoneal effusion in dogs. Normal four beagle dogs and one Maltese dog were used. Each five CR and SFR abdominal images of right lateral and ventro-dorsal position were obtained after lodge of 6 ml, 8 ml, 12 ml, 15 ml, and 18 ml of normal saline by intraperitoneal injection within the abdomen. The reviewers were asked to evaluate each SFR and CR images for the presence of peritoneal effusion using the score by the presence of a peritoneal effusion on a five-point ordinal scale. A receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis compared the two imaging modalities. The present study showed that there was no statistical difference between SFR and CR in the detecting peritoneal effusion, but CR was relatively more sensitive based on the increased area under its ROC analysis. Moreover, Readers were more likely to detect peritoneal effusion on CR images than SFR.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2018

Recently, demographic studies of veterinary medical database have been conducted to understand patterns of disease occurrence. Understanding incidence of breed-related disease would provide appropriate guidance for future health care strategies and offer useful information for early diagnosis of disease. However, in veterinary medicine, theses research has not yet been investigated in the Republic of Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of common medical disorders among dog breeds examined at primary-care veterinary clinics in Jeollabuk-Do, Republic of Korea. The data were analyzed based on World Health Organization's International Classification of Disease. A total 13,176 medical records of canine patients were analyzed from six primary veterinary clinics in Jeollabuk-Do from January to December 2016. Results showed that the most common health problems were 'disease of skin' (17.7%); followed by 'diseases of digestive system' (12.26%), 'preventive medicine' (10.08%), and 'diseases of ear and mastoid process' (10.4%). In seven out of ten breeds, the most common medical disorder was skin disease. For poodle such as Pomeranian and Chihuahua, digestive system disease was most prevalent. On the other hand, respiratory system disease was found to be higher in Pomeranian than other breeds; while ear and mastoid process disease was most common for Maltese and Poodle. This study can help owners, breeders, and veterinarians prevent and manage various diseases of popular breeds in Jeollabuk-Do in the future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.4 s.71
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• pp.664-667
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• 2005

Hydrosyringomyelia is a dilation of the spinal cord central canal. In human it may be caused by congenital malformations such as Dandy-Walker syndrome and Chiari malformations or may be acquired as a result of infection, trauma or neoplasia. Hydrocephalus is an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles and occipital dysplasia is the dorsal extension of the foramen magnum. Hydrosyringomyelia and hydrocephalus can be confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A 3-year-old male maltese was presented with a history of long-term seizure. Blood examination was all unremarkable. On rostrodorsal-caudoventral oblique radiograph of the skull showed severe occipital dysplasia. On brain sonography through the persistent fontanelle, severe lateral ventriculomegaly was revealed. MRI examination revealed hydrocephalus and hydrosyringomyelia. Diuretic therapy didn't reduce clinical symptoms and surgical decompression was conducted. The dog responded well with ventriculo-peritoneal shunting. MRI is the most superior modality to diagnose hydrocephalus and hydrosyringomyelia, to plan therapy and to determine the prognosis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.556-562
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• 2009

Skin tumors and mammary gland tumors have been shown to be the most common neoplasia in most of the strains of dogs. The risk for tumor development increases significantly with age and the prevalence and distribution are various according to individual tumors. The aim of this study is to classify histopathologically the skin and mammary gland tumors for recent two years, 2005 and 2006. A total of 128 skin and 240 mammary gland samples of dogs were selected that were submitted to National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service and Kangwon National University from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006. The excised tissue were fixed in 10 percent neutral buffered formalin and processed routinely to paraffin wax. Sections were cut at $3{\mu}m$, stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The slides were examined based on the morphological criteria of M. H. Goldschmidt and W. Misdorp under a light microscope. The age of the dogs ranged from 1 to 19 years with a median of 8.7 years. The mean age of the skin and mammary gland tumors was 7.4 and 9.3 years. 47 (12.8%) were males and 259 (70.4%) were female with a male to female ratio of 0.18. Yorkshire terrier and maltese were more susceptible breeds, accounting for 44.3% of skin and mammary gland tumors. In skin tumors, epithelial, adnexal, and mesenchymal origin tumors were 18 (14.1%), 53 (41.4%), and 57 cases (44.5%), repectively. Among the epithelial, adenexal, and mesenchymal origin tumors, basal cell tumor (8.6%), sebaceous adenoma (15.6%), and histiocytoma (25.0%) were predominant in the incidence rate, respectively. In case of mammary gland tumors, 201 (83.8%) were benign and 39 (16.3%) were malignant with a benign to malignant ratio of 5.15. The most frequent mammary gland tumor was benign mixed tumor (35.0%) followed by mammary adenoma-complex type (31.7%).

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.139-145
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• 2001

This study was undertaken to determine the normal serial ultrasonographic appearance of the postpartum uterine involution in small pet dogs (Yorkshire terrier and Maltese). Postpartum changes in uterine shape, architecture, echogenicity and diameter were monitored by ultrasonography in 12 small pet dogs. Serial ultrasonographic examinations were done daily during the first week, 3 days interval from 8 to 30 days, and weekly from 31 to 100 days postpartum. The excretory period of vaginal discharge in 12 normal bitches of uterine involution was finished completely within 3 weeks postpartum. The short axis shape of the uterus was initially often flaccid-appearing. It varied from circular to polygonal. This lasted until 15.75$\pm$3.84 days postpartum, during which time the short axis uterine shape gradually changed to circular. Also, the long axis shape of the uterus was a beaded appearance until 30.89$\pm$4.25 days postpartum. After 30 days, it was appeared as tubular shape between placental and interplacental sites. The ultrasonographic image of the postpartum uterus consisted of four echogenicity distinct layers. Uterine wall was represented as very hyperechoic serosa, hypoechoic myometrium, hyperechoic endometrium and anechoic structures of fluid in the uterine cavity until 7 days postpartum. The individual uterine layers were most prominent during the first week postpartum, and they became progressively less distinct throughout the course of uterine involution. The thickness of myometrium was decreased rapidly in the placental sites from 4.47$\pm$1.42 mm at 1 day to 1.92$\pm$0.26 mm at 16 day, and in the interplacental sites from 3.19$\pm$0.61 mm at 1 day to 1.39$\pm$0.61 mm at 16 day. And it was decreased slowly until 94 day and was been minimum thickness at 94 day. The thickness of endometrium was also decreased like that of myometrium. The uterine diameter in the placental sites was decreased from 22.28$\pm$3.01 mm at 1 day to 16.11$\pm$1.46 mm at 7 day, and in the interplacental sites was decreased from 13.65$\pm$2.34 mm at 1 day to 9.41$\pm$1.59 mm at 7 day postpartum. From 7 day to 93 day, the change of diameter was more and more slow. At 94 days postpartum, the uterine diameter was 5~6 mm both placental and interplacental sites, and the uterine horns were uniform hypoechoic, tubular structures without enlargement. Therefore, complete involution of the uterus occurred at 94 days. It was concluded that normal post partum uterine involution in small pet dogs appeared to be completed 94 days postpartum by gross findings such as vaginal discharges, and by ultrasonographic findings, uterine shape and echogenicity.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2011

This study was performed to evaluate the size and asymmetry of the lateral ventricles in CT images of three different small breed dogs. CT examinations were performed on thirty Yorkshire terriers, malteses, and shihtzu dogs, respectively. The size and asymmetry of their lateral ventricles were evaluated at three different levels of brain, and dogs were categorized on the basis of the percentage of their ventricular height (Vh) to brain height (Bh). Degree of asymmetry was also categorized based on the rVh (ratio of right and left ventricular heights) as normal (rVh < 1.5), mild (1.5 < rVh < 2.0), or severe (2.0 < rVh). Clinically insignificant ventricular dilation was common in these breed dogs. However, severe asymmetry was not presented in clinically normal dogs. We suggested 11 mm as an upper limit of ventricular size in normal small breed dogs.