Case report laparoscopy-assisted pre-pubic urethrostomy as a palliative procedure for resection of distal urethral tumor in a female dog

Abstract

Background: This paper presents the first described case of laparoscopy-assisted prepubic urethrostomy and laparoscopic resection of a tumor of the distal part of the urethra in a female dog as a palliative treatment. Case presentation: An intact, 11 -year-old, mixed breed female dog,weighing 15 kg, was admitted with signs of urinary obstruction and difficultywith catheterization. Vaginal, rectal, and endoscopic examinations revealed a firmmass in the pelvic cavity at the level of the pelvic urethra. Ultrasound andcomputed tomography examination showed enlargement of the urethral wall (5.5 cmwidth and 3 cm thick), which was significantly restricting the patency of theurethra. The lesion affected only the distal part of the urethra without thepresence of local or distant metastatic changes. The affected portion of the urethra was laparoscopically removed while performing pre-pubic urethrostomy with laparoscopy. The patient regained full consciousness immediately after the end of anesthesia, without signs of urinary incontinence. Histopathological examination of the removed urethra revealed an oncological margin only from the side of the bladder. In the period of 2.5 months after the procedure, the owner did not notice any symptoms that could indicate a postoperative recurrence, which was diagnosed three months after the procedure. Conclusions: Pre-pubic urethrostomy can be successfully performed with the assistance of laparoscopy. The use of minimally invasive surgery will allow, in selected cases, removal of the urethral tumor, and in inoperable cases, to perform a minimally invasive palliative pre-pubic urethrostomy.