Laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the subserosal layer dissection technique in dogs: 34 cases (2015‐2021)

OBJECTIVES

To describe a standardised subserosal layer dissection technique and evaluate its outcomes in canine laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical records of dogs undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the standardised subserosal layer dissection technique for the treatment of cholecystolithiasis, cholecystitis, and gall bladder mucocele at a single veterinary hospital from January 2015 to September 2021 were extracted. Operative time, subserosal layer dissection achievement rate, open conversion rate, and complication rate were evaluated.

RESULTS

Thirty-four dogs were included. The most common preoperative diagnosis was cholecystolithiasis (n=29). Operative time was 190 minutes (range: 110 to 330 minutes). Subserosal layer dissection of more than 90% of the gall bladder bed was achieved in 27 (79%) dogs. Conversion to open surgery was required in three (8.8%) dogs. There were no cases of intraoperative bleeding, bile duct injury, or reoperation.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study showed that laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the standardised subserosal layer dissection technique could be performed successfully in dogs. Future prospective clinical studies are needed to determine safety and effectiveness of this technique compared to standard techniques.

Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy in a raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) with chronic pulmonary inflammatory lesions

A female raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) captured September 1992 in Nara prefecture, Japan, suffering from swollen joints of all four limbs was necropsied. Radiographically, there was a shadow in the right pulmonary caudal lobe and periosteal bone formation around several joints. Microscopically, there was extensive edema, along with one large and many small pyogranulomatous nodules and purulent bronchitis in the right lobe and left caudal lobe of the lungs. There were intermingled branching filamentous bacteria in the lesion, which stained positively with Warthin-Starry, Grocott, and Gram stains, and partially with periodic acid Schiff and Ziehl-Neelsen stains. Extensive exostosis with coralloid trabeculation had developed bilaterally at the carpal, stifle and hock joints in the surrounding well vascularized loose connective tissue. Degeneration of articular cartilage and villous proliferation of synovial membranes were apparent. This is the first report of hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy in the raccoon dog.

Polygalacturonase and Cellulase Enzymes in the Normal Rutgers and Mutant rin Tomato Fruits and Their Relationship to the Respiratory Climacteric

Cell wall enzymes at different stages of fruit development were compared between the normal Rutgers and the isogenic nonripening rin tomato. In Rutgers, a detectable increase in polygalacturonase (PG) activity was observed 6 days prior to the respiratory climacteric (43 days postanthesis). The maximum increase in PG activity occurred after C(2)H(2) and CO(2) production reached their peak. However, in the rin tomato, no change in PG activity was noted up to 100 days postanthesis. Cellulase activity increased in Rutgers fruits prior to the respiratory climacteric and continued to increase thereafter. Similar changes in cellulase activity were also observed in the nonclimacteric rin fruits. Short term ethylene treatment (2 days) of 36-day-old rin fruits increased cellulase activity, but had no effect on PG activity. Detectable changes in other parameters of ripening, such as chlorophyll loss and softening, also occurred prior to the respiratory climacteric. These results suggest that the failure of rin fruits to ripen is related to their low PG activity during maturity as compared with normal fruits.