9 year old German Shepherd

Discussion

The focal, cortical location of the mass makes many differential diagnoses possible. This dog had two previous ultrasound exams in which no abnormalities of the kidneys were seen, so the mass took time to progress to visibility. Fine needle aspirates were non-diagnostic as in many renal diseases. A nephrectomy yielded the diagnosis of hemangioma, and the dog was doing well 5 months postoperatively.
In this type of case, follow-up ultrasound and thoracic radiographs are indicated to monitor for metastatic disease if the lesion was indeed hemangiosarcoma.