Ultrasonographic evaluation of brachial plexus tumors in five dogs.

Five dogs with unilateral thoracic limb lameness, neurologic deficits, muscle atrophy, and pain, or a combination of these signs, were examined using ultrasonograghy. Large, hypoechoic tubular masses that displaced vessels and destroyed the normal architecture were found in each dog. The affected axilla of each patient was then imaged with computed tomography or magnetic resonance to fully assess the extent of the masses. We describe the use of ultrasound in screening patients for brachial plexus tumors.