Intradural Extramedullary Plasmacytoma in a Dog

Background: Plasmacytoma is a neoplasm originating in plasma cells, derived from B lymphocytes. Extramedullary presentation is the most common form of plasmacytoma, mainly in the skin and rarely in other tissues, including the vertebral canal. Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) occurs more frequently in senile dogs and rarely in cats and some dog breeds have predisposition for this type of neoplasm. The aim of this study was to report plasmacytoma in a dog located adjacent to the thoracic vertebrae.Case: An approximately 5-year-old mongrel male with sudden paraplegia resulting from upper motor neuron injury was admitted to a University Hospital. The dog presented a six-centimeter diameter mass in the dorsal region, adjacent to the thoracic vertebrae. The leucogram presented mild leukopenia by eosinopenia and lymphopenia. Myelogram associated with epidurography showed a fill failure in the contrast column between the seventh and ninth thoracic vertebrae, and there were no osteolysis points in the thoracic vertebrae, adjacent to the neoplastic mass. The evaluation of the intervertebral spaces between the fourth to ninth thoracic vertebrae presented no increase in radiopacity, nor alterations in the size of intervertebral spaces, indicating intervertebral disc extrusion. The laterolateral radiographs showed an alignment of the vertebrae and vertebral canal, without presence of bone neoformations on the ventral face of the vertebral bodies. The animal was euthanized and fragments of mass were collected for histological analysis. Macroscopic findings presented a non-encapsulated well-delimited mass, with color ranging from white to reddish. Microscopically, there was proliferation of moderately differentiated round cells in bone and muscle tissues, arranged in mantle, with moderately eosinophilic cytoplasm, and rounded nucleus with eccentric location, coarse chromatin sometimes indistinct. These cells presented moderate anisocytosis and, in general, one mitosis per field. Intradural extramedullary plasmacytoma was diagnosed.Discussion: The present report presented a diagnosis of intradural EMP, generating compression of the spinal cord because of its invasive growth, reaching the canal and, thus, reducing its lumen. The clinical status of the dog was compatible with thoracolumbar lesion of upper motor neuron, which causes paresis and ataxia in pelvic limbs. In this case, it was not possible to establish early diagnosis because the dog had been rescued from the streets recently. Radiographic examination was important to identify the real size of the mass, and the myelography confirmed spinal cord compression. The definitive diagnosis was obtained by histological examination. Although extramedullary plasmacytoma is a low-frequency neoplasm, in the present report, its manifestation was atypical, more aggressive, invading the medullary canal and compressing the spinal cord. Spinal cord compression may lead to degeneration of axons because of alterations in the vascular permeability associated with local inflammatory process, reducing the oxygen supply to nervous tissues, resulting in cellular degeneration. The occurrence of atypical neoplastic growth should be included as a differential diagnosis for lesions in upper motor neuron in cases of spinal cord compression. This is an atypical location for this kind of neoplasia, and cases of medullary compression of neoplastic masses should be included as a differential diagnosis

Relato de caso e estudo imuno-histoquímico de tumor maligno da bainha do nervo periférico em um cão

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is rare and rarely reported in dogs. The term neurofibroma/sarcoma is classically used when the tumor is composed of Schawann and perineural cells. This work describes the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical case of a subcutaneous malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, most likely a malignant neurofibroma located in the pelvic member of a Rottweiler dog. Histopathological features and immunohistochemical analysis corroborated the diagnosis, showing positivity for S-100 protein, vimentin, and CD57, and was useful to distinguish this type of neoplasm from other malignancies of similar morphologies.O tumor maligno da bainha do nervo periférico é raro e pouco descrito em cães. Classicamente, o termo “neurofibroma/sarcoma” é empregado quando o tumor é composto por células de Schwann e células perineurais. Neste relato são descritos os achados clínicos, histopatológicos e imuno-histoquímicos de um caso de tumor maligno da bainha do nervo periférico, provavelmente neurofibrossarcoma, localizado no subcutâneo do membro pélvico de um cão da raça Rottweiler. Os achados histopatológicos associados às observações imuno-histoquímicas contribuíram para o diagnóstico, sendo observada positividade para proteína S-100, vimentina e CD57, permitindo a diferenciação da neoplasia em questão de outros tumores malignos com características morfológicas similares

Metastatic Pelvic Osteosarcoma in a Dog

Background: Osteosarcomas are malignant neoplasms of bone tissue, with a high prevalence in dogs, especially in large and giant breeds. More commonly, such alterations affect the appendicular skeleton and, to a lesser extent, the axial skeleton. In order to obtain an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to combine cytological and histopathological findings with clinical parameters, imaging exams and macroscopic findings. In the present study, we report a rare case of combined-type pelvic osteosarcoma with pulmonary metastasis in a dog.Case: A 5-year-old intact large male dog of mixed breed, was submitted to clinical care because of an increase in volume of the left perineal region.  The cytological evaluation, performed without imaging exams, indicated that it was an undifferentiated sarcoma. An incisional biopsy defined the diagnosis as telangiectatic osteosarcoma, and with progressive clinical worsening, the patient died. Necroscopic examination revealed multiple nodules in the lungs and an irregular mass with a hard to friable consistency. The mass was intensely vascularised and extended craniodorsally from the left ischial tuberosity to the base of the renal fossa. Microscopically, the neoplasm was diagnosed as combined osteosarcoma, consisting of the osteoblastic, chondroblastic, and telangiectatic subtypes. Metastases with a predominance of the chondroblastic subtype were observed in the lungs.Discussion: This is the first report of combined-type canine osteosarcoma in the ischium. The case reported here is unusual, as there are few reports of canine osteosarcoma in the pelvic bones, and there is no concrete information regarding its histological appearance. Osteosarcoma is the most common bone neoplasm in dogs, representing up to 80% of the tumours found in such organs. In the present case, the dog was a large young adult with a higher probability of neoplasm development. A cytopathological examination is a diagnostic method with good sensitivity and specificity that can confirm osteosarcomas. However, in this case, the cytological diagnosis, performed without the information from the imaging exam, indicated that it was an undifferentiated sarcoma, given the impossibility of the architectural assessment of the lesion. Biopsy samples sent for histology may not be representative of the entire tumour, leading to misclassification of the histological type. Therefore, the evaluation of fragments from various sites of the lesions is recommended. Regarding the morphology of osteosarcomas, such neoplasms have the osteoblastic, chondroblastic, fibroblastic, telangiectatic, large cell, and poorly differentiated subtypes. With regard to tumours located in the axial skeleton, no studies have assessed the predominance of a particular morphological type, as well as the incidence of combined-type masses in dogs in this particular location. Such neoplasms are locally aggressive and have a high metastatic potential, with the lungs being the main location for implantation of neoplastic cells. There is no proven evidence of the correlation between morphological presentations and the presence of metastases from osteosarcomas in dogs. The histological type is not a predictive factor for the behaviour of the neoplasm. However, the anatomical location is considered as one of the factors with the greatest influence on the prognosis and metastatic potential. Rib masses are associated with a higher rate of metastases compared to others. The definitive diagnosis of osteosarcomas and its correct subclassification are of great importance in the prognosis of affected patients. These require an approach that considers the clinical findings, imaging examinations, and macroscopic and microscopic alterations. Keywords: bone, canine, cytopathology, histopathology, neoplasm.Título: Osteossarcoma pélvico metastático em cão Descritores: canino, citopatologia, histopatologia, neoplasia, osso

Aglepristone associado à ovariohisterectomia no tratamento de hiperplasia fibroadenomatosa mamária em uma gata: relato de caso

A hiperplasia fibroadenomatosa mamária (HFM) se caracteriza por rápida hipertrofia e hiperplasia do estroma e epitélio ductal das glândulas mamárias. Ela corresponde a 20% dos nódulos mamários e ocorre com maior frequência em felinos, fêmeas e jovens. Diante da elevada casuística de HFM, este estudo objetivou relatar um caso de sucesso terapêutico de HFM em uma gata, utilizando o procedimento de ovariohisterectomia (OH) associado a um fármaco antagonista de progesterona, a fim de contribuir com o esclarecimento quanto aos sinais clínicos, diagnóstico e tratamento desta afecção. Uma gata, sem raça definida, com sete meses de idade e 2,9 kg de peso vivo, apresentou aumento de volume das glândulas mamárias uma semana após o primeiro ciclo estral. Foi negado o histórico de acasalamentos e uso de contraceptivos. Todas as glândulas mamárias se encontravam hiperplásicas de forma assimétrica, cianóticas, consistência firme, alopécicas, com diâmetro variando entre 2,5 cm a 4 cm, ausência de aderências, com sensibilidade dolorosa à palpação. A gata foi diagnosticada com HFM por meio dos sinais clínicos, histórico e citopatologia. O protocolo terapêutico consistiu em OH associada ao uso de aglepristone. Ressalta-se que este protocolo é uma boa opção quando não há interesse do tutor na reprodução do animal, oferecendo resultados rápidos, eficazes e com chances reduzidas de recidivas

Leptospirosis in slaughtered cows in the Triangulo Mineiro, Minas Gerais: prevalence, serological profile and renal lesions

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis that affects several species of domestic and wild animals and is an important cause of economic losses in cattle in Brazil. In this study, we determined the prevalence of bovine leptospirosis in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais, Brazil, identified the most frequent serovars of Leptospira interrogans, and examine the renal pathological changes associated with the disease. Samples of blood serum and kidney fragments from 100 bovine females were collected in cattle abattoir. In the serological investigation 48% of the cows were positive. The serovars for which there were more reactive animals were Wolffi (24%), Hardjo (21%) and Hebdomadis (18%). Among the positive samples, 14/48 showed antibody titers greater than 1:100, and 70.83% of the seropositive animals responded to more than one Leptospira interrogans serovar. Only one farm did not have seropositive cows and in nine farms studied, six (66.66%) presented seropositive animals to the Hebdomadis serovar. At the histopathological examination, the most frequent microscopic lesions in positive animals were hyalinization (81.25%), congestion (81.25%) and hydropic degeneration (70.83%). However, these histopathological alterations were also found in kidneys of animals negative to serology, such as hyalinization (80.77%), congestion (48.07%) and hydropic degeneration (55.77%) and these findings are unrelated to positivity. Histopathological examination of the kidneys is not indicated to replace the serological diagnosis of leptospirosis, and may be used only as a complementary examination. Despite the low frequency of seropositive animals in the Triângulo Mineiro region, the disease is present in a large number of farms. Noteworthy is the high frequency of serovar Hebdomadis and it can be considered an emerging serovar in the region. The evaluation of the frequency of this serovar in other regions becomes important, and once verified should result in the recommendation of the inclusion of this serovar in the leptospirosis control

TUMOR OVARIANO DE CÉLULAS DE SERTOLI EM FÊMEA CANINA

Sertoli cells tumor, classified as a pure sexual cord tumor, is characterized by causing endocrine clinical manifestations. It is commonly found in males and is rare in females. The present study aimed to report a case of a Sertoli cell ovarian tumor in a female dog. The patient was a five-year-old female Shi Tzu dog, who complained of prayer position frequently and anestrus for two years. The physical examination determined diffuse and symmetrical alopecia, skin hyperpigmentation, fragile hair, and comedones, with increased volume in the left flank and sensitivity to abdominal palpation. The ultrasound examination evidenced the presence of a rounded structure, with defined edges in the topography of the left ovary, measuring approximately 5.27cm in its longest axis, in addition to incipient pyometra. After ovariosalpingohysterectomy, a histopathological evaluation of the ovary was performed with a diagnosis of sexual cord/stroma with an infiltrative Sertoli cell pattern. It is concluded that, although uncommon, it is important to include the Sertoli cell tumor as a differential diagnosis in cases of signs of hormonal dysregulation and changes in the estrous cycle, and animal's coat. The importance of imaging and histopathological exams for diagnosis, prognosis, and appropriate treatment is highlighted.RESUMO O tumor de células de Sertoli, classificado como tumor do cordão sexual puro, é caracterizado por provocar manifestações clínicas endócrinas. É encontrado mais comumente em machos e é raro em fêmeas. O presenteobjetivou relatar um caso de tumor ovariano de células de Sertoli em uma cadela. A paciente era uma fêmea canina, de cinco anos de idade da raça Shi Tzu, que apresentava queixa de “posição de prece” com frequência e anestro há dois anos. O exame físico determinou alopecia difusa e simétrica, hiperpigmentação de pele, pelos frágeis e comedões, com aumento de volume no flanco esquerdo e sensibilidade à palpação abdominal. O exame ultrassonográfico evidenciou estrutura arredondada, de bordas definidas em topografia de ovário esquerdo, medindo aproximadamente 5,27cm em seu maior eixo; além de piometra incipiente. Após ovariossalpingohisterectomia, realizou-se avaliação histopatológica do ovário, com diagnóstico de tumor do cordão sexual/estroma, com padrão de células de Sertoli infiltrativo. Conclui-se que, apesar de incomum, é importante incluir o tumor de células de Sertoli como diagnóstico diferencial, em casos de sinais de desregulação hormonal e alterações no ciclo estral e do pelame do animal. Ressalta-se a importância dos exames de imagem e histopatológicos para o diagnóstico, prognóstico e tratamento adequado

Causas de óbito em gatos domésticos em um hospital veterinário de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais: estudo retrospectivo

Cats play an important role as pets in the present society. Thus, the knowledge about their main diseases and causes of death is fundamental to prevent various pathologies. However, when dealing with domestic cats there are very few researches in Veterinary Medicine. The aim of this study is to identify the causes of death of cats through a retrospective study of necropsies in the Animal Pathology Laboratory in the Federal University of Uberlândia (Brazil), in a period of 36 years, in which 350 cat necropsies were conducted. The most frequent causes of death of these animals were digestive system diseases (48 cats – 13.71%), and among them, feline hepatic lipidosis was the most frequent etiology (18.75%). The second most affected system was the respiratory (10.86%) and acute pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and diaphragmatic hernia were the main diseases to cause death of cats with some kind of disorder in this system. Other decease causes were rabies, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrous osteodystrophy, fractures and traumatism, hypovolemic shock, and feline lower urinary tract disease. This type of analysis can provide basic information about the most common diseases in felines, contributing with veterinarians as they adopt control and prevention actions against diseases.Os gatos apresentam papel relevante como animal de estimação na sociedade atual. Neste sentido, o conhecimento das principais enfermidades e causas de morte desses animais é fundamental para prevenção de várias patologias. No entanto, quanto ao gato doméstico, essas pesquisas ainda são escassas na medicina veterinária. Assim, este trabalho realizou um estudo retrospectivo das causas de morte de gatos registradas das necropsias efetuadas pelo Laboratório de Patologia Animal da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, em um período de 36 anos, no qual 350 gatos foram necropsiados. As doenças do sistema digestivo foram as mais frequentes (48 gatos – 13,71%) e destas, a lipidose hepática foi a etiologia de maior ocorrência (18,75%). O sistema respiratório foi o segundo mais afetado (10,86%), sendo pneumonia aguda, edema pulmonar e hérnia diafragmática as principais doenças deste sistema responsáveis pela morte de gatos. Outras causas de óbito importantes foram raiva, carcinoma de células escamosas, osteodistrofia fibrosa, fraturas e traumatismos, choque hipovolêmico e síndrome urológica felina. Este tipo de análise pode fornecer informações básicas sobre as enfermidades que mais acometem os felinos de uma determinada região, contribuindo para que os profissionais médicos veterinários passem a adotar as respectivas ações de prevenção e controle

Retrospective Study of Mammary Lesions in Bitches - Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

Background: Mammary tumors are a type of neoplasia that are most commonly found in female dogs and are mostly malignant. The aim of this study, performed in the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology of the Federal University of Uberlândia (LVP-FUU) from 2004 to 2014, was to determine the prevalence of mammary tumors in bitches and to verify the relationship between the epidemiological factors (age and breed) and clinicopathological aspects (ulceration, tumor size, and malignancy) in the occurrence of tumors.Materials, Methods & Results: A retrospective study was carried out using histopathological information retrieved from the LPV-UFU database. We collected the information on age and breed of female dogs, as well as about the location, macroscopic aspects, and histological diagnosis of mammary lesions. Only female dogs were considered for this study; a total of 911 histopathological protocols (with only one diagnosis) were analyzed along with 36 protocols that presented more than one diagnosis of mammary tumor. The age of animals ranged from one to 20 years, and the mean age was 9.99 years. The most affected breeds of dogs were: Cross breed (39.56% - 288/728) and Poodle (20.19% - 147/728). The inguinal glands were most affected by the malignant tumors (P < 0.05). A prevalence of tumors bigger than 5 cm in diameter (T3) was observed in the elderly animals (P = 0.0154) and in the inguinal mammary glands (P = 0.044). Simple carcinoma was the most frequent histological type.Discussion: Research shows that more than 40% of the tumors in bitches are located in the mammary glands, emphasizing the importance of this type of neoplasia in female dogs. Mammary tumors develop more frequently in the middle-aged and elderly bitches, with the highest occurrence being in the age range of 8 and 10 years, corroborating our observation in the present study that the mean age of bitches was 9.99 years. In this survey, a higher incidence was observed in mongrel bitches compared to that in the Poodle breed. Some authors affirm that there is no racial predisposition for the occurrence of this pathology; however, a compilation of data suggests a predisposition of at least 10 breeds, with the involvement of an as yet unidentified genetic component. Of these, six breeds (Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Pointer, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, and Dachshund) were found to be predisposed to mammary tumors in this study. The percentage (49.23%) of malignant tumors found in the inguinal glands is consistent with the findings reported in literature, and might be associated with a greater amount of parenchyma, abundance of hormone receptors in these glands, and vascularization provided by the caudal superficial epigastric artery and vulvar branches of external pudendal artery. Tumor size is considered to be a prognostic factor and tumors  ≤ 3 cm in diameter  (T1) have a better prognosis. Consequently, the prevalence of tumors  ≥ 5 cm in diameter  (T3) in elderly animals is probably related to malignancy of the lesions, because tumors usually progress to a worse histological grade with time. The higher occurrence of T3 in inguinal glands might be related to the abundance of parenchyma and/or hormonal receptors in them. As in the present study, data from literature refer to the superiority of malignant histological types, with prevalence varying between 68 and 91%. When prolonged, the time between the onset of tumor and clinical evaluation may be a determinant in the progression from benign to malignant tumors. Among the malignant neoplasms, simple carcinoma was observed to be prevalent, followed by mixed tumors with carcinoma, in agreement with the results of several studies. It is concluded that mammary tumors are more prevalent in older mongrel dogs and Poodle. Attention should be paid to inguinal mammary tumors, because these are mainly malignant

CARACTERÍSTICAS MORFOMÉTRICAS DE OVÁRIOS DE VACAS MESTIÇAS DE DESCARTE COLETADOS EM ABATEDOURO

The objective was to evaluate morphometric characteristics of the ovaries and incidence of corpus luteum and ovarian follicles in empty zebu crossbreed’s cows obtained from slaughterhouses, in the region of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. The average values of length, width and thickness of the rights ovaries (OD) were, respectively, 3.5 cm, 2.3 cm and 1.70 cm. For the left ovary (OE) the measures were: 3.4 cm, 2.0 cm and 1.60 cm. The mean diameter of the follicles found in the OD was 1.1 cm and OE 0.8 cm. The comparison between findings on the right and left ovaries was performed using the T test, with significance level of 5% (p <0.05) and the width was higher in right ovaries (p-value: 0.02). Of all the corpus luteum, 61% were present in the OD and 39% present in the OE. To classify the type of this corpus luteum, it was found that 68% of corpus luteum were protruding and 32% were included. The size of the ovaries and the high incidence of included corpus luteum should be considered as major factors when performing gynecological examination by rectal palpation

Discrepancy between Clinical and Postmortem Diagnosis of Dogs in a Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Background: The postmortem examination offers the opportunity to study the processes involved in disease. Although a portion of veterinary medical professionals and students consider the necropsy as a diagnostic tool of purely academic interest, it can provide valuable assistance in formulating health strategies in order to prevent and control animal diseases. The number of necropsies performed in general is higher in universities where the cost is subsidized. In veterinary medicine, studies intended to assess the frequency of necropsy and the discrepancy between clinical and postmortem diagnosis of dogs are rare. The main purpose of the necropsy is to discover the cause of death of dogs, by defining a possible etiology and pathogenesis in order to reach a diagnosis.Material, Methods & Results: We used medical records and necropsy records to define the clinical and postmortem diagnosis, respectively. Data relating to deaths was recorded as the number of euthanized dogs and natural deaths in 2014. From the information cause of death, these were categorized as infectious disease, cardiac, gastrointestinal, renal, pulmonary, neurological, metabolic or endocrine disease, neoplastic disease, trauma, or systemic disease. We used the Binomial discrepancy in the comparison of the rates between different years and also to verify the association between discrepancy and the correlation between clinical and postmortem diagnosis of dogs with euthanasia and natural death, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). In 2009, 56.81% (25/44) of cases included in the study had a concordance between the clinical and postmortem diagnosis, while 43.19% (19/44) were discordant. In 2014, it was observed that 71.70% (76/106) of the diagnosis was confirmed with the necropsy, while 28.30% (30/106) were discordant. The disagreement rate was higher in 2009 (P < 0.05) and there was a reduction of 14.89% in the disagreement rate between 2009 and 2014. Regarding the cause of death, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal disease, and heart disease were the categories in which the discrepancy was higher. It was found that in the group of dogs euthanized, the discrepancy rate was lower compared with the group of dogs that had anatural death (P < 0.05).Discussion: The disagreement rate can be considered high when compared with a veterinary study and similar to those observed in a human study. Decrease in the discrepancy rate in the years, as observed by other authors, that can be attributed to improvements and expansion of diagnostic services of the hospital and better training of veterinarians. The difficulty in determining the etiology of infectious diseases is associated with lack of specific diagnostic tests and the high cost of available tests, which often is not bank rolled by the tutor. Dogs in this study were rarely submitted to diagnostics tests such as electrocardiogram or echocardiogram which explains the high discordance in the diagnosis of heart disease. Distemper is an infectious disease of great importance regarding euthanized animals, especially in cases that progress to central nervous system injuries with extremely poor prognosis and wind up having euthanasia indication. Another common cause of domestic animals euthanasia indication is the occurrence malignant neoplasms, which depends on the progression of the disease and psychological and social conditions of the owner. The results generated herein suggests that infectious, gastrointestinal and cardiac diseases origin tend to have a greater discordance between clinical and postmortem diagnosis, however this rate is decreasing due to improved infrastructure of veterinary centers with better professionals qualification