<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Ganglioneuromatosis is a rare disorder characterized by hyperplasia of intestinal ganglia including myenteric plexus and enteric nerve fibers. This disorder is generally described in children, but sporadic cases have also been described in adults. Most human cases arise in the colon and rectum. The disorder has also been described in dogs, mostly juveniles, but rarely in mature dogs with the oldest dog reported with this change being 9 years old.We report the first case in an older dog from Croatia. A 13-year old female, mixed-breed dog had a history of diarrhea and weight loss. Ultrasound revealed focally-extensive markedly thickened small intestine. The changed part of the intestine, measuring 7 mm x 20 mm, was removed on laparotomy and delivered for histopathologic examination. Grossly, the intestine showed circumferential expansion of the intestinal wall, which was whitish in color. Microscopic findings included diffuse hyperplasia of the myenteric and submucous plexus. Focally in the affected tissue a subacute ulcer was evident, which was probably not the cause of intestinal signs, as it presented a localized lesion, while ganglioneuromatosis was a diffuse change in the affected tissue.So far, ganglioneuromatosis was reported in young dogs, rarely in adult dogs. Our report shows that ganglioneuromatosis can also be encountered in older dogs. Although the lesion presents a rare finding, it should be listed as a differential diagnosis in dogs where infectious and neoplastic etiology has been ruled out as cause of diarrhea.</abstract>

Ganglioneuromatosis is a rare disorder characterized by hyperplasia of intestinal ganglia including myenteric plexus and enteric nerve fibers. This disorder is generally described in children, but sporadic cases have also been described in adults. Most human cases arise in the colon and rectum. The disorder has also been described in dogs, mostly juveniles, but rarely in mature dogs with the oldest dog reported with this change being 9 years old.We report the first case in an older dog from Croatia. A 13-year old female, mixed-breed dog had a history of diarrhea and weight loss. Ultrasound revealed focally-extensive markedly thickened small intestine. The changed part of the intestine, measuring 7 mm x 20 mm, was removed on laparotomy and delivered for histopathologic examination. Grossly, the intestine showed circumferential expansion of the intestinal wall, which was whitish in color. Microscopic findings included diffuse hyperplasia of the myenteric and submucous plexus. Focally in the affected tissue a subacute ulcer was evident, which was probably not the cause of intestinal signs, as it presented a localized lesion, while ganglioneuromatosis was a diffuse change in the affected tissue.So far, ganglioneuromatosis was reported in young dogs, rarely in adult dogs. Our report shows that ganglioneuromatosis can also be encountered in older dogs. Although the lesion presents a rare finding, it should be listed as a differential diagnosis in dogs where infectious and neoplastic etiology has been ruled out as cause of diarrhea.

Small Intestinal Ganglioneuromatosis Accompanied by an Ulcer in a 13-Year Old Dog

Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Acta Veterinaria

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Ganglioneuromatosis is a rare disorder characterized by hyperplasia of intestinal ganglia including myenteric plexus and enteric nerve fibers. This disorder is...

Small Intestinal Ganglioneuromatosis Accompanied by an Ulcer in a 13-Year Old Dog

Published Online: Sep 18, 2020

Page range: 395 - 400

Received: Oct 05, 2019

Accepted: Feb 18, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acve-2020-0030

Keywords
dog, ganglioneuromatosis, histology, small intestine

© 2020 Huber Doroteja et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Small Intestinal Ganglioneuromatosis Accompanied by an Ulcer in a 13-Year Old Dog

Published Online: Sep 18, 2020

Page range: 395 - 400

Received: Oct 05, 2019

Accepted: Feb 18, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acve-2020-0030

Keywordsdog, ganglioneuromatosis, histology, small intestine

© 2020 Huber Doroteja et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
dog, ganglioneuromatosis, histology, small intestine