Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

A S Kapatkin

Publications and source records attributed to A S Kapatkin.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Nonlymphoid vertebral canal tumors in cats: 11 cases (1987-1995).

OBJECTIVE: To determine outcome of cats with nonlymphoid tumors of the vertebral canal that undergo surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 11 cats. PROCEDURE: Information obtained from the medical records included signalment, tumor location, gross evaluation of completeness of surgical excision, histologic diagnosis, and survival time. RESULTS: Median age of cats was 12 years: all cats had negative FeLV and feline immunodeficiency virus test results. All cats underwent a hemilaminectomy or dorsal laminectomy. The tumor was located in the thoracic portion of the vertebral column in 6 cats. Six cats had intradural-extramedullary tumors. Tumors included meningioma (n = 5), malignant nerve sheath tumors (2), and meningeal sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, lipoma, and osteosarcoma (1 each). One cat was lost to follow-up, 1 cat with meningioma was alive 1,400 days after surgery, and 1 cat with a nerve sheath tumor was alive 2,190 days after surgery. Median survival time for the other 4 cats with meningioma was 180 days (range, 30 to 600 days). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Cats with nonlymphoid vertebral canal tumors that undergo surgery may have a good prognosis.

Age Factors

Leiomyosarcoma in dogs: 44 cases (1983-1988).

During a 5-year period, leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed in 57 dogs. Forty-four dogs were included in the study on the basis of completeness of medical records. All dogs underwent exploratory laparotomy, and dogs were allotted to 4 groups according to primary site of tumor: spleen (16 dogs, median age 10.3 years), stomach/small intestine (13 dogs, median age 10.3 years), cecum (10 dogs, median age 11.8 years), and liver (5 dogs, median age 9 years). All dogs with leiomyosarcoma of the liver had visible metastasis and were euthanatized at surgery. In the other 3 groups, 79% of the dogs had no gross evidence of metastasis at surgery, and 64% survived greater than 2 weeks. Median survival in these 3 groups was 10 months (range, 1 month to 7 years); 48% died of metastasis, 32% died of unrelated causes, and 16% died of unknown causes. The prognosis in dogs with leiomyosarcoma of the spleen, stomach, small intestine, and especially the cecum is good to excellent if surgery is performed. In dogs with leiomyosarcoma of the liver, the prognosis is poor.

Animals

Problems associated with basic oral surgical techniques.

The veterinarian must be able to diagnose several types of dental problems. History, physical examination, clinical pathology, and radiography are important in making an accurate diagnosis. Basic oral surgery includes various extraction techniques and management of their associated complications. Knowledge of dental anatomy and proper surgical technique can make an extraction curative rather than a frustrating procedure with multiple complications.

Animals

Dental composite for the fixation of mandibular fractures and luxations in 11 cats and 6 dogs.

Twenty-one mandibular fractures in 11 cats and 6 dogs were repaired during a 20-month period. A new technique using dental composite was used to stabilize the mandible. The canine teeth were pumiced, acid etched, and aligned with dental composite, leaving the mouth opened approximately 1 cm. Six weeks after surgery the composite was removed so that radiographs of the mandible could be made with the animal under general anesthesia. In 1 dog in which the fracture had not healed, the composite was replaced. The composite broke before 6 weeks in 8 animals; 2 required replacement of the dental composite. There were no other complications. The median time for fracture healing was 6 weeks. All fractures healed with anatomic dental occlusion. The advantages of this technique are that no further damage is caused to the teeth or to the blood supply of the bone, the occlusion is anatomic, dermatitis (which is seen with tape muzzles) is not a complication, and the technique is easy to use in brachycephalic breeds, cats, and animals with poor bone quality. The limiting factor of this technique is that it does require four salvageable canine teeth. This repair technique is still a viable option even if one or more of the canine teeth are fractured. Dental composite stabilization is fast, easy, inexpensive, and, in our series, it was 100% effective for the repair of mandibular fractures.

Acid Etching, Dental

Spinal tumors in 37 dogs: clinical outcome and long-term survival (1987-1994).

The current management of dogs with spinal canal neoplasia in a large veterinary institution was evaluated. Postoperative survival time and prognostic indicators for survival were examined. Spinal neoplasms in dogs and humans also were compared. Thirty-seven cases with histologically confirmed spinal tumors were included in the study. The cervical region was affected most commonly, and 23 (62%) of 37 cases had extradural tumors. A hemilaminectomy or a dorsal laminectomy was performed in each case; three cases received adjuvant treatment. Twelve (32%) cases were euthanized at the time of surgery, and two died immediately after surgery. One dog was euthanized 20 days after surgery because of persistent clinical signs. Twenty-two cases were followed postoperatively; nine different types of primary tumors were confirmed by histological examination of tissue specimens from these 22 cases, and three cases had metastatic lesions. The median survival time of these 22 cases was 240 days. Twelve (32%) of the 37 cases had nerve-sheath tumors; the median survival time for these 12 cases was 180 days. No prognostic indicators were identified. However, median survival times of cases with benign versus malignant tumor types were 1,410 days and 180 days, respectively (p of 0.07). Four cases each had a myxoma/myxosarcoma, a tumor previously unreported in the spinal canal in dogs.

Animals

Intraoperative problems associated with intervertebral disc disease.

Intervertebral disc disease in the dog is a common problem in veterinary medicine. The clinician must understand the pathophysiology of disc extrusions so the owner can be informed properly when medical versus surgical treatment is indicated. Intervertebral disc surgery requires the same preoperative considerations as any other surgery would: knowledge of regional anatomy, proper equipment, and good surgical techniques and tissue handling. The spinal cord is an unforgiving structure, forcing the surgeon to understand and to avoid intraoperative complications. Some complications are inevitable. Recognizing these complications early and resolving them quickly will help ease early recovery of neurologic function.

Animals