Chronic primary splenic torsion with peritoneal adhesions in a dog: case report and literature review.

Primary splenic torsion in dogs is uncommon and can occur in acute or chronic form. The chronic form is difficult to diagnose because the clinical signs are vague and sometimes intermittent. A dog with a history of diaphragmatic hernia repair two years previously presented with chronic, vague clinical signs and an abdominal mass. The mass was revealed to be spleen on ultrasonography. On exploratory laparotomy, the dog was found to have a splenic torsion of approximately 180 degrees with mature, fibrous adhesions retaining the spleen in a torsed position. A splenectomy was performed, and the dog recovered uneventfully with complete resolution of prior clinical signs. Prognosis for dogs with splenic torsion is good, although complications are relatively common.

An unusual presentation of multiple myeloma in two cats.

Multiple myeloma is a rare neoplasm in cats. Common presenting signs (e.g., lethargy, anorexia, weight loss) usually are nonspecific. Two cats with multiple myeloma were presented with primary complaints of lameness; one had femoral osteolytic lesions, and the other likely had hyperviscosity syndrome. The cat with osteolytic lesions was treated with chemotherapy; the primary lesion responded, but the neoplasia metastasized.

Apparent primary ossification of the menisci in a dog.

A 2-year-old Collie was examined after it developed acute lameness in the right hind limb. Palpation of the right stifle elicited signs of pain, but a cranial drawer sign could not be elicited during palpation of the joint. Radiography revealed mineralized opacities in the craniolateral and caudal portions of the right stifle joint. Exploratory arthrotomy of the right stifle joint revealed a firm mass in the cranial horn of the lateral meniscus, which was characterized as osseous metaplasia in the cranial and caudal menisceal horns on histologic examination. Other abnormalities were not identified during surgery. Results of histologic examination, radiologic evidence, and observations during exploratory surgery supported a diagnosis of primary lateral meniscal ossification of the right stifle joint. Radiographs were obtained of the contralateral stifle joint when the dog was clinically normal (5 weeks after arthrotomy), and mineralized opacities were found in the lateral meniscus of this limb as well. Clinical signs may not be associated with primary intrameniscal ossification initially; type and location of ossification may affect likelihood and severity of clinical signs and secondary joint damage. Initial treatment for menisceal ossification is conservative (anti-inflammatory medications) unless there is a concurrent pathologic process that requires surgical repair.

Fungus-growing ants.

Fungus-growing ants (Attini) are in reality unique fungus-culturing insects.There are several hundred species in some dozen genera, of which Acromyrmex and Atta are the conspicuous leaf-cutters. The center of their activities is the fungus garden, which is also the site of the queen and brood. The garden, in most species, is made from fresh green leaves or other vegetal material. The ants forage for this, forming distinct trails to the vegetation that is being harvested. The cut leaves or other substrate are brought into the nest and prepared for the fungus. Fresh leaves and flowers are cut into pieces a millimeter or two in diameter; the ants form them into a pulpy mass by pinching them with the mandibles and adding saliva. Anal droplets are deposited on the pieces, which are then forced into place in the garden. Planting of the fungus is accomplished by an ant's picking up tufts of the adjacent mycelium and dotting the surface of the new substrate with it. The combination of salivary and anal secretions, together with the constant care given by the ants, facilitates the growth of the ant fungus only, despite constant possibilities for contamination. When the ants are removed, alien fungi and other organisms flourish. A mature nest of Atta Sexdens may consist of 2000 chambers, some temporarily empty, some with refuse, and the remainder with fungus gardens. Thousands of kilograms of fresh leaves will have been used. A young laboratory colony of Atta cephalotes will use 1 kilogram of fresh leaves for one garden. The attines are the chief agents for introducing organic matter into the soil in tropical rain forests; this matter becomes the nucleus for a host of other organisms, including nematodes and arthropods, after it is discarded by the ants. One ant species cultures a yeast; all others grow a mycelium. In the higher species the mycelium forms clusters of inflated hyphae. Mycologists accept as valid two names for confirmed fruiting stages: Leucocoprinus ( or Leucoagaricus) gongylophora (Moeller 1893) and Lepiota n. sp.