Splenic liposarcoma in dogs: 13 cases (2002–2012)

Objective—To describe the clinical signs, diagnostic findings, surgical management, and outcome in dogs with splenic liposarcoma. Design—Retrospective case series. Animals—13 client-owned dogs with splenic liposarcoma. Procedures—Medical and pathology records of dogs with a histopathologic diagnosis of splenic liposarcoma from 2002 to 2012 were reviewed for the following data: clinical signs, CBC, biochemical profile, thoracic and abdominal imaging, surgical management, histologic grade, and outcome (local recurrence, distant metastasis, and survival time). Telephone interviews were conducted with referring veterinarians. Results—The median survival time (MST) was 623 days (range, 1 to 1,283 days). In 5 dogs that died of splenic liposarcoma, survival times ranged from 42 to 369 days. Metastasis at the time of surgery was a negative prognostic indicator: the MST was 45 days for dogs with metastasis and 767 days for dogs without metastasis. Dogs with grade 1 splenic liposarcoma had a significantly greater MST (1,009 days), compared with dogs with grade 2 or 3 splenic liposarcoma (MST, 206 and 74 days, respectively). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results confirmed that splenic liposarcoma is a rare differential diagnosis in dogs with a splenic mass. Survival time was influenced by preoperative clinical stage and histologic grade.