Hypernatremia and Hyperlipidemia in a Dog with Central Nervous System Lymphosarcoma

Glioblastoma Multiforme with Hypodipsic Hypernatremia in a Seven-Month-Old Golden Retriever

Primary hypodipsic hypernatremia is a rarely reported disease in dogs. Reported underlying causes associated with this disease in dogs include congenital malformations, encephalitis, intracranial neoplasia, and pressure atrophy of the hypothalamus secondary to hydrocephalus. The dog in this report had an infiltrative neoplastic disorder, likely causing damage to the hypothalamic osmoreceptors responsible for the thirst generation. The neoplastic process was identified histopathologically as glioblastoma multiforme, an unusual tumor to occur in a dog this young. A tumor of the central nervous system causing physical destruction of the osmoreceptors has rarely been reported in dogs and none of the previously reported cases involved a glial cell tumor.

Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of brain tumors in dogs

A great deal of information is now available regarding the range of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of many primary and secondary brain tumors from dogs. In this review, these canine neoplasms are grouped into meningeal masses, ventricular masses, intra-axial enhancing lesions, intra-axial mildly to non-enhancing lesions, and multifocal lesions. For each of these patterns, the major and sporadic neoplastic differential diagnoses are provided, and guidance on how to rank differential diagnoses for each individual patient is presented. The implication of MRI features such as contrast-enhancement, signal intensities and location is discussed. However, the information garnered from MRI must be correlated with all available clinical information and with epidemiological data before creating a differential diagnosis.

Therapeutic approach to chronic electrolyte disorders

Chronic disorders of sodium and potassium occur and occasionally need symptomatic therapy. Hypernatremia primarily indicates loss of free water, whereas hyponatremia may be attributable to various problems. It is important not to correct major aberrations of serum sodium concentrations too quickly lest the therapy be more detrimental than the electrolyte abnormality. In distinction, hypokalemia and hyperkalemia may be corrected quickly. Hypomagnesemia is relatively common, but its clinical significance is still being determined.