Identification of an ectopic periorbital lymph node in two horses

Background: To describe the clinical presentation and treatment of an ectopic periorbital lymph node in two young horses. Case Description: Two warm-blood horses were presented at the equine clinic of the University of Liège with a periorbital non-painful mass. Differential diagnosis included neoplasm (lymphoma), (sterile) abscess, cyst, ectopic lacrimal gland tissue, hematoma, adipose tissue, or ectopic lymphoid tissue. Information collected included physical and ophthalmic examination findings, results of the ocular and periocular ultrasound, surgical procedure, histopathology, and follow-up. Masses of 2 × 2 cm and 3 × 2 cm subcutaneous, ovoid, smooth, and firm mass were observed in the zygomatic region of the head. On ultrasound, the mass appeared as a hypoechoic subcutaneous structure. Cytology showed a mixed lymphocytic cell population. No abnormal mitotic activity was observed. Histopathology revealed a chronic markedly reactive lymph node. Conclusion: To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first description of periorbital ectopic lymph nodes in veterinary medicine. Ectopic lymph nodes should therefore be included in the differential diagnosis of periocular masses in animals. Surgery was easily performed and was curative

Is there a role for cervicography in the detection of premalignant lesions of the cervix uteri?

The characteristics of cervicography and the Papanicolaou smear test have been compared for the detection of cervix lesions classified as CIN I or more. A total of 4,015 women were entered into the study. The sensitivity of cervicography is significantly higher (McNemar test, P < 0.0001), but its specificity remains significantly lower (McNemar test, P < 0.0001), and its higher sensitivity does not apply to lesions classified as CIN II or more (high-grade lesions). Hence, if patients with a positive screen result are to be referred for colposcopy-biopsy, cervicography is not a suitable alternative to the smear test for the screening of cervical cancer. However, cervicography can be envisaged as a complementary tool to the smear test because of (a) its higher capability to detect high-grade lesions among women less than 35 years old and (b) its potential superiority in following low-grade lesions. It may also serve as a tool for quality assurance audit of the smear test

Histology of two rice bodies isolated from the stifle of an adult draught horse stallion

In the human and equine species, different kinds of free floating intra-articular particles are related to certain disorders. Osteochondral fragments formed during osteochondrosis dissecans are the most common finding in the equine species, whereas in humans rice bodies due to rheumatoid arthritis are more frequent. Herein we report a third type of floating body inside the stifle of an adult draught horse stallion, in macroscopic appearance similar to articular rice bodies known in humans. As revealed by histologic examination, the two particles consist of polypoid degenerated structures derived from synovial villi. Their formation was probably induced by ischemia

Cross-species oncogenomics offers insight into human muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Background In humans, muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is highly aggressive and associated with a poor prognosis. With a high mutation load and large number of altered genes, strategies to delineate key driver events are necessary. Dogs and cats develop urothelial carcinoma (UC) with histological and clinical similarities to human MIBC. Cattle that graze on bracken fern also develop UC, associated with exposure to the carcinogen ptaquiloside. These species may represent relevant animal models of spontaneous and carcinogen-induced UC that can provide insight into human MIBC. Results Whole-exome sequencing of domestic canine (n = 87) and feline (n = 23) UC, and comparative analysis with human MIBC reveals a lower mutation rate in animal cases and the absence of APOBEC mutational signatures. A convergence of driver genes (ARID1A, KDM6A, TP53, FAT1, and NRAS) is discovered, along with common focally amplified and deleted genes involved in regulation of the cell cycle and chromatin remodelling. We identify mismatch repair deficiency in a subset of canine and feline UCs with biallelic inactivation of MSH2. Bovine UC (n = 8) is distinctly different; we identify novel mutational signatures which are recapitulated in vitro in human urinary bladder UC cells treated with bracken fern extracts or purified ptaquiloside. Conclusion Canine and feline urinary bladder UC represent relevant models of MIBC in humans, and cross-species analysis can identify evolutionarily conserved driver genes. We characterize mutational signatures in bovine UC associated with bracken fern and ptaquiloside exposure, a human-linked cancer exposure. Our work demonstrates the relevance of cross-species comparative analysis in understanding both human and animal UC

Intradural vertebral disc herniation in a dog

SCOPUS: sh.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe