Torsion of uterus with lipoma in a dog: Imaging findings and surgical treatment

Abstract

An 11-year-old intact female Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever presented to the authors’ referral hospital with acute abdominal pain and vaginal discharge and suspicion of pyometra. Ultrasonographic examination revealed a large echogenic mass in the caudal abdomen in the region of the left uterine horn. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a large oval mass predominantly of fat attenuation and confirmed that the mass originated from the left uterine horn. The presence of a ‘whirl sign’ on both ultrasound and CT suggested a torsion of the left uterine horn. During exploratory laparotomy, the mass was found to be originating from the wall of the left uterine horn with a 360° torsion of this horn. The mass along with the entire uterus and both ovaries were subsequently removed. A uterine lipoma with uterine torsion was diagnosed histopathologically. The dog made an uneventful recovery after surgery.