Computed tomography of suppurative and neoplastic diseases involving the canine omenta and omental bursa

Aaron Percival, Daniel J. Lopez, Allison Miller, Peter V. Scrivani

Background: The omenta and omental bursa are peritoneal structures that may be affected by inflammatory or neoplastic diseases in dogs. These diseases may have different computed tomography (CT) characteristics and anatomic distributions that can help with diagnosis and surgical planning.

Study: This was a retrospective case series of seven dogs with confirmed suppurative or neoplastic disease of the omenta, omental bursa, or both, based on cytology or histology. The aim was to describe the frequencies of CT findings and their correlation with the anatomic location and pathologic diagnosis.

Methods: The medical records and CT images of dogs with CT evidence of disease involving the omenta, omental bursa, or both were reviewed. CT images were evaluated for the presence or absence of various findings related to the omenta, omental bursa, and associated organs. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics and dogs were grouped as having inflammatory or neoplastic disease.

Results: Three dogs had inflammatory disease of the omenta and omental bursa associated with the spread of suppurative inflammation. Two dogs had septic abscesses originating from the papillary process of the liver that extended into the omental vestibule. One dog had sterile suppurative inflammation of the caudal omental recess. Four dogs had neoplasms that produced a tumor that either expanded the omental bursa or infiltrated the omenta. The neoplasms were omental carcinoma, omental hemangiosarcoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, and splenic leiomyosarcoma. The distribution and imaging characteristics of the neoplasms varied among dogs. All dogs had fluid in the greater peritoneal cavity and 5/7 (71%) dogs also had fluid in the omental bursa.

Limitations: The major limitations of this study were the small sample size, the retrospective design, and the possibility of misdiagnosis or misclassification of the disease or anatomic location.

Conclusions: This study provides CT imaging characteristics of suppurative and neoplastic diseases of omenta and omental bursa in dogs. Additionally, this study provides anatomic guidance for CT localization of diseases within these structures, which has importance in surgical planning. Many of the same CT signs were present in both inflammatory and neoplastic diseases, but the presence of gas within a tumor might suggest that inflammatory disease is more likely. Neoplasms of the omenta or omental bursa have different distributions and extensive local invasion may indicate malignancy and hinder surgical removal.

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