DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE

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History

A 2-year-old female spayed New Zealand white rabbit weighing 3.66 kg was presented to a Veterinary Teaching Hospital following a 1 day duration of anorexia and abdominal distention. Prior to the patient's current condition, the rabbit was eating, drinking, urinating, and defecating normally; however, cecotrophs had not been observed in the rabbit's hutch for the preceding 4 days. The morning the animal was presented to the teaching hospital, the owner reported that the rabbit was lethargic and

Diagnosis

The CT images revealed a mid-abdominal mass measuring 5 cm × 5.6 cm × 5 cm containing vascularized tissue, mineral opacity, and gas (Fig. 3). It was determined that the mass was not directly connected to the gastrointestinal tract. No other abnormalities were noted. An exploratory laparotomy was performed with the rabbit under general anesthesia. A ventral midline approach was used to enter the abdomen. The caudal border of the cecum was elevated and displaced cranially to expose the mass. The

Discussion

Abscess, granuloma, and tumor are the most common differential diagnoses for a mass effect in a veterinary patient. The mass in the case of this rabbit was likely the result of a focal inflammatory process; however, a histopathologic diagnosis was not pursued to determine a definitive diagnosis of granuloma versus sterile abscess. Abscesses in rabbits are common and most often result from direct injury, with inflammation and invasion of tissue by bacterial pathogens, or through hematogenous

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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