TRANSVERSE TERMINAL HUMERAL BILATERAL HEMIMELIA IN A DOG – CASE REPORT

Abstract

Hemimelia is a rare congenital anomaly, characterized by the absence of a part or the whole distal segment of a body member. It is usually unilateral and is classified according to the affected bone segments. In the transverse terminal hemimelia, there is the absence of the whole distal part of a body member, what is defined as congenital amputation. Several studies about cats and dogs concluded that radial hemimelia is the most usual. However, other types of this anomaly are rarely observed in dogs. Therefore, the aim of this study is to report a case of transverse terminal humeral bilateral hemimelia in a mixed-breed dog. In the physical exam was observed a bilateral malformation of the thoracic members. The radiographs revealed the presence of a well-developed scapula, humeral vestiges and the absence of other appendicular segments on the right and left antimeres, what made the hemimelia diagnosis possible. Consanguinity was the probable cause of the anomaly. Because of the scarcity of scientific reports about this pathology in dogs, further studies are needed to investigate the here observed.