Mandibular osteosarcoma in a goat

Introduction-A few large surveys on tumour prevalence in goats indicate that tumours in general are quite common in this species. Reviews of neoplastic diseases in goats indicate a prevalence ranging from 0,8 to 11%. However, osteogenic tumours arising from facial bones in goats are rare. Regarding oral localization only a few mesenchymal tumours have been described arising from the gengiva. Case presentation-A 4-year old, female crossbred goat was referred with a history of dysorexia and a slow growing painful mass on the face. On physical examination the animal showed poor body condition and the left side of the face was deformed by a voluminous mass which, at the inspection of the oral cavity, displaced the maxillary teeth. Differential diagnoses included os-teomyelitis and benign (osteoma, chondroma, ossifying and non ossifying fibroma, odontogenic tumours) as well as malignant (osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma) mesenchymal tumours arising from either the connective tissue and bone. The goat was euthanized because of the extension of the lesion and a complete necropsy was performed. Grossly, the face was deformed by the presence of a hard mass arising from the branch of the left mandible. Histologically the oral mass was composed of heterogeneous proliferation of malignant osteoblasts intermigled with brightly eosinophilic strands or island of osteoid matrix. Neoplastic cells, interpreted as malignant osteoblasts, were characterized by plump to round or spindle-shape morphology, with moderate basophilic cytoplasm and an eccentrically located voluminous nucleus containing a large prominent nucleolus. Mitotic figures were found and were either bipolar and atypical. At necropsy no metastases were found and the final diagnosis was non-metastasizing mandibular osteoblastic osteosarcoma. Conclusion-In conclusion, regardless the type of tumour, the goat was euthanized because of the extension and the severity of the lesion. Necropsy and histological examination were necessary to correctly classify the tumour as a non-metastasizing mandibular osteosarcoma

Chromogenic in situ hybridization for the detection of lambda and kappa immunoglobulin light chains as a potential auxiliary diagnostic technique in canine plasmacytomas

The heterogeneous morphologic features of canine plasmacytomas (PCTs) can make their differentiation from other round cell tumors challenging. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for lambda (\u3bb) and kappa (\u43a) immunoglobulin (Ig) light chains is often equivocal because of high background staining. The chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) technique for light chains has shown higher sensitivity compared to IHC in human plasma cell tumors. Therefore, we aimed to validate automated CISH for light chains in canine tissues and to evaluate its diagnostic potential in canine PCTs, in conjunction with routinely used IHC markers. CISH for light chains demonstrated a clear signal in plasma cell populations of canine control tissues (lymph nodes, lymphoplasmacytic inflammation) showing a polyclonal pattern with a prevalence of \u3bb-producing cells. CISH detected monotypic light chain expression in 33 of 53 (62%) PCTs, 31 expressing \u3bb and 2 expressing \u43a. CISH was more sensitive than IHC for \u3bb light chain (58% vs. 47%, respectively) and more easily interpretable given the absence of confounding background staining. The absence of CISH staining for both \u3bb and \u43a in a considerable subset of tumors may be the result of lower light chain production by neoplastic cells. Multiple myeloma oncogene 1 (MUM1) was expressed by all but 2 PCTs (96%), which showed \u3bb expression by CISH and IHC. The identification of poorly differentiated canine PCTs requires the assessment of a panel of IHC markers, with the potential support of CISH for Ig light chains

Identification of Histopathological Criteria for the Diagnosis of Canine Cutaneous Progressive Angiomatosis

The term angiomatosis is used to denote a group of well-known to poorly characterized proliferative vascular entities. In animals, cutaneous progressive angiomatosis (CPA) is a disorder with variable prognosis related to the extension and depth of infiltration of the surrounding tissues by vessels. CPA may share some microscopical features with other vascular proliferations such as low-grade well-differentiated capillaritic hemangiosarcoma (HS), making the diagnosis not always straightforward, especially in small biopsies. The aim of this study is to retrospectively assess the most common diagnostic microscopical features of CPA in dogs. In this work, 11 histopathological criteria were analyzed on 31 CPA and 11 primary cutaneous HS in dogs. Features significantly associated with CPA included: lobular growth, interposition of connective tissue and adnexa between the vascular proliferation, presence of nerve fibers, and a mixed vascular proliferative component. Absence of plump/prominent endothelial cells, lack of atypia, and lack of mitoses were also significant factors differentiating CPA from HS. Additional distinctive findings in CPA, although with no statistical association to CPA diagnosis, were vascular shunting, absence of necrosis, and endothelial cell piling up. In conclusion, the combined use of different microscopical clues allowed for the distinction of CPA from HS and was considered useful for the diagnosis of CPA

Dystrophic mineralization of the arterial fibrovascular tissue associated with a vitamin D hypervitaminosis in an 8-year-old female Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

BACKGROUND Prophylactic Vitamin D supplementation is a common practice in Alpaca breeding in many regions around the world. An overdosage can lead to dystrophic mineralization of soft tissues. In this paper we illustrate a suspected case of hypervitaminosis D in an 8-year-old female Alpaca. CASE PRESENTATION In June 2015, the carcass of an 8-year-old female Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) was submitted to the diagnostic laboratory of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) for necropsy. The animal had undergone a spontaneous abortion with uterine prolapse and delivery of the placenta, and had died shortly thereafter. Death occurred due to internal haemorrhage related to dystrophic mineralization of the left renal artery with subsequent rupture and damage of the renal hilum. During the necropsy, histopathological and serum biochemical analyses were performed. After laboratory analyses and the history of mineral and vitamin supplementation reported by the breeder, a hypervitaminosis D was suspected to be the most probable cause of the dystrophic mineralization observed in the left renal artery. CONCLUSIONS Most of the information regarding Llamas and Alpacas comes from the South American and Australian regions. It is therefore important to provide scientific information about these animals in other regions of the world in order to have a better and wider understanding of the nutritional and environmental conditions necessary for optimal breeding

CD30 cross-reactivity and expression in feline normal tissues and lymphomas

CD30 is a transmembrane glycoprotein of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily included in the diagnostic algorithm of human cutaneous, anaplastic large cell and Hodgkin lymphomas and represents an optimal therapeutic target for CD30+ tumors. Similar diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are largely missing for feline lymphomas. Cross-reactivity of the antihuman CD30 receptor clone Ber-H2 was investigated in feline lymphomas. Comparative analysis of feline and human CD30 identified 61% identity of the amino acid sequence, with 100% identity of the main sequence of the epitope targeted by the antibody (RKQCEPDYYL). CD30 expression in normal feline tissues was restricted to rare lymphoid cells in perifollicular and interfollicular lymph node areas and in the thymic medulla. In feline lymphoma, CD30 was expressed in 4 of 33 (13%) T-cell lymphomas, 3 of 22 (14%) B-cell lymphomas, and 5 of 7 (71%) mixed-cell lymphomas, showing diffuse (1/5) or multifocal (4/5) positivity restricted to neoplastic multinucleated lymphoid cells and binucleated cells consistent with Reed-Sternberg-like cells. Based on the human classification system, cell morphology, expression of multiple markers (mixed cell components), and CD30 positivity, these cases were considered most consistent with classical Hodgkin-like lymphoma (HLL). The other 2 mixed-cell lymphomas were CD30 negative and thus most consistent with either T-cell-rich large B-cell lymphoma (TCRLBCL) or nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL). These findings provide multiple data supporting the cross-reactivity of the Ber-H2 anti-CD30 clone in feline tissues and give evidence of the usefulness of CD30 in the diagnostic evaluation of feline lymphoma