title: Liver aspirate from a Shar Pei dog.
abstract: A 5-year-old, neutered male, Shar Pei dog was presented with weight loss, anorexia, lethargy, stranguria, and distal limb edema. Clinicopathologic abnormalities included anemia, an inflammatory leukogram, azotemia, icterus, urinary tract infection, and hepatomegaly with a markedly hypoechoic liver. Cytologic findings in a fine-needle aspirate of the liver included large amounts of amorphous, pink, extracellular matrix between hepatocytes. The amorphous material was congophilic using Congo red stain on a hepatic cytology specimen and green birefringent areas were observed under polarized light, confirming the presence of amyloid. The dog was euthanized and a necropsy was done. Histopathologic evaluation using H&E and Congo red staining confirmed amyloid deposits within the liver, kidneys, intestinal vessels, pancreas, and mesenteric ganglia. Immunohistochemical staining of liver and kidney sections using anti-AA amyloid and anti-P component antibodies confirmed the presence of AA amyloid. In this case, we demonstrated that Congo red staining and polarized light microscopy are a useful diagnostic technique in cytologic specimens of suitable thickness for confirming the presence of amyloid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. bflatland@mail.ag.utk.edu
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flatland
authors.forename: Rebecca R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yeomans
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Donnell
authors.forename: India F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fry
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male