ICD-10 N99.8 | ICD-9-CM 629 | |
Residual ovary syndrome or ovarian remnant syndrome is a condition that occurs when ovarian tissue is left behind following oophorectomy, causing development of a pelvic mass, pelvic pain, and occasionally dyspareunia. The frequency is about 1.8% in spayed female dogs.
Contents
Clinic
In the female, it is diagnosed if permanent or recurring abdominal pain manifests. Urinary problems, weakness, fever, nausea, vaginal bleeding and pain during bowel movements may also occur.
In female dogs and queens a heat or heat cycle occurs despite spaying as in intact animals. Females often develop pseudopregnancy or pyometra. In addition, in female dogs from ovary remains a granulosa cell tumour with Läufigkeitssymptomen, accretion of the mammary glands, skin problems, bone marrow suppression and endometrial hyperplasia develops. Overall, the syndrome is more common in cats than in dogs, and it is almost exclusively due to surgical errors (incomplete ovariectomy), ectopic tissue is very rare.
Diagnostics
Remnant tissue can be seen by ultrasonography or magnetic resonance imaging, optionally after administration of Clomifene 10 days before the examination.
Laboratory diagnosis are primarily elevated levels of estrogen or progesterone corresponding to the normal sexual cycle.
The measurement of estrogens is not practical in veterinary medicine, their effect can, however, by means of vaginal cytology be detected. Alternatively, the progesterone levels can be measured 5 to 7 days after suspected ovulation can be measured. If necessary, the ovulation may with hCG or GnRH be triggered. Progesterone levels above 2 ng / ml (6.4 nmol / L) are conclusive for the presence of corpus luteum, and thus hormonally active ovarian tissue.
Therapy
The therapy consists of surgical removal of the residual tissue.
The operation should be performed in dogs and cats during the hormonally active phase (heat or metestrus done), because the ovarian tissue is easier to find then, due to the ovarian follicles or Corpus luteum.