Haemoperitoneum - przeglad przypadkow klinicznych w latach 2003-2005

The aim of the study was to determine the characteristic clinical symptoms and discuss the laboratory results in correlation with histopathology test results in dogs having blood detected in the peritoneal cavity. The examinations were performed on 11 individuals in whom diagnostic abdominal punctures had revealed blood in peritoneal cavity. All the dogs were subjected to clinical examination, morphological and biochemical blood tests, abdominal USG and peritoneal cavity fluid examination. Seven out of the 11 dogs were put to sleep and autopsy was carried out. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed on 4 dogs. Clinical examinations in all the dogs revealed pale mucous membranes, prolonged capillary filling time, muffled heart sounds, accelerated pulse. Laboratory blood tests showed a decrease in hematocrite, hemoglobin and albumin values. USG diagnoses confirmed the presence of fluid in the peritoneal cavity of all the dogs. Cytological examination of the peritoneal cavity fluid sediment smears demonstrated the presence of adenocarcinoma cells in 2 cases, and cancer cells in one case. The results of the histopathology examination of the malignant tumors in these 2 dogs facilitated the diagnosis of colon adenocarcinoma and ovary cancer in one of the dogs. As far as the benign tumors were concerned cavernous angioma of the liver was diagnosed in one dog and spleen angioma in 3 dogs. In the remaining 4 dogs the reason for bleeding into peritoneal cavity was liver and spleen hematomas. Determining the hematocrite value in the abdominal fluid and peripheral blood which facilitated distinguishing acute bleeding from chronic bleeding was a clinically significant examination allowing perceiving a differentiation within the peritoneal cavity fluid.