title: Peritoneal EMH in a dog with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
abstract: Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is the process by which normal blood cells are produced outside the bone marrow. In humans, EMH effusions are rare and are characterized by the presence of megakaryocytes, immature erythrocytes, immature leukocytes, or combinations of those cells. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report to describe a case of peritoneal EMH effusion in a dog. A 5 yr old castrated male shorthaired dachshund presented with a 2 day history of pigmenturia and inappetence. A complete blood count revealed regenerative anemia with marked agglutination, spherocytosis, and an acute inflammatory leukogram characterized by a neutrophilia, regenerative left shift, and monocytosis. Ultrasound-guided aspiration of peritoneal effusion yielded a sample of high nucleated cellularity predominantly composed of mature and immature neutrophils and erythroid precursor cells. The patient was diagnosed with primary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia with concurrent EMH peritoneal effusion. The following case description and discussion explore the clinical findings associated with the unusual effusion and outline the possible pathogenesis by which the EMH effusion may have arisen in the dog.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pohlman
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muldowney
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schermerhorn
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004285:Dogs; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D006411:Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary; D008297:Male