Oligodendroglioma in the cervical spinal cord of a dog

A 7-year-old male castrated Yorkshire Terrier dog developed slowly progressive neurologic disturbances consisting of difficulties in moving the neck, lack of proprioception, and tetraparesis 4 months prior its death. Neurologic examination, computer tomography, and myelography resulted in the tentative diagnosis of intramedullary cervicothoracic spinal cord lesion. At necropsy, an intramedullary cervical spinal cord mass between C5 and C6 was noticed. Histologically, cells of this well-demarcated, nonencapsulated neoplasm were arranged in sheaths or cords separated by a fine fibrovascular stroma. The polygonal to round tumor cells were characterized by moderate pale, basophilic, and vacuolar cytoplasm and round to slightly oval, centrally located nuclei with fine-stippled heterochromatin, a single nucleolus, and a very low mitotic activity. Tumor cells lacked glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin, factor VIII-related, and cytokeratin antigen expression. Histologic and immunohistochemical findings led to the diagnosis of a cervical spinal cord oligodendroglioma.     

Teratoma in the cervical spinal cord of a dog

An 11-year-old, spayed female giant schnauzer was presented for evaluation of chronic, progressive tetraparesis. Diagnostic imaging was consistent with intervertebral disk protrusion, and surgical decompression and stabilization were performed. Postoperatively the dog did not improve, and further imaging suggested an intramedullary mass at the level of the sixth cervical vertebra. The dog was euthanized 7 days after surgery, and a teratoma was found postmortem.     

Long-term survival after combination chemotherapy for bilateral renal malignant lymphoma in a dog

CASE HISTORY: A 6-year-old, entire male Flat-coated Retriever was presented with a history of lethargy, polydipsia and seizures. Clinical chemistry had shown marked azotaemia. CLINICAL FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: Radiography and ultrasonography revealed bilateral renomegaly, and cytology of fine needle aspirates from the kidneys was diagnostic of malignant lymphoma. The dog was treated with a modified high-dose cyclophosphamide-, vincristine-, and prednisolone-based chemotherapy protocol, achieved remission, and returned to normal quality of life. Survival time was 346 days from the time of diagnosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Malignant lymphoma in the kidneys of dogs has been considered to carry a uniformly poor prognosis. Long-term remission after medical treatment has not previously been reported. The favourable outcome in this case illustrates the limitations of clinical staging in determining the outcome for individual patients.     

Long-term survival after combination chemotherapy for bilateral renal malignant lymphoma in a dog

CASE HISTORY: A 6-year-old, entire male Flat-coated Retriever was presented with a history of lethargy, polydipsia and seizures. Clinical chemistry had shown marked azotaemia.

CLINICAL FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: Radiography and ultrasonography revealed bilateral renomegaly, and cytology of fine needle aspirates from the kidneys was diagnostic of malignant lymphoma. The dog was treated with a modified high-dose cyclophosphamide-, vincristine-, and prednisolone-based chemotherapy protocol, achieved remission, and returned to normal quality of life. Survival time was 346 days from the time of diagnosis.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Malignant lymphoma in the kidneys of dogs has been considered to carry a uniformly poor prognosis. Long-term remission after medical treatment has not previously been reported. The favourable outcome in this case illustrates the limitations of clinical staging in determining the outcome for individual patients.     

Long-term survival of a dog with Alexander disease

A 1-year- and 11-month-old spayed female toy poodle had showed progressive ataxia and paresis in the hindlimbs since 11 months old. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed high signal intensity on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images at the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord. The dog’s neurological condition slowly deteriorated and flaccid tetraparesis was exhibited. At 4 years and 11 months old, the dog died of respiratory failure. On postmortem examination, eosinophilic corkscrew bundles (Rosenthal fibers) were observed mainly in the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord. Histological features were comparable to previously reported cases with Alexander disease. This is a first case report to describe the clinical course and long-term prognosis of a dog with Alexander disease.     

Anaplastic ependymoma in the cervical spinal cord of a maltese dog

An 8-year and 6-month-old female Maltese dog showed a stoop with rigidity of her cervix and back. Neurologic examination showed loss of proprioception, and deficiency of pain response. Postmortem examination revealed the neoplastic mass replacing the central area in the cervical spinal cord at the level from 4th to 5th segments. Histologically, the mass was composed of neoplastic ependymal cells. The neoplastic cells showed marked atypism, and occasionally formed ependymal rosettes. Based on the morphologic features, the tumor was diagnosed as anaplastic ependymoma. Immunohistochemistry showed that the neoplastic cells were negative for glial fibrillary acid protein, and slightly positive for vimentin and cytokeratin.     

Functional thyroid gland adenoma in a dog treated with surgical excision alone

An 11-year-old male Golden Retriever presented with progressive weight loss, tachycardia, hyperthermia, polyuria and polydipsia. A freely movable mass, 4.5 x 4 cm in size, was palpated at the cranioventral cervical region. Hormonal study revealed high levels of serum thyroid hormones, and a tentative diagnosis of hyperthyroidism due to a thyroid tumor was made. The tumor was removed surgically and diagnosed histopathologically as thyroid gland adenoma. Serum thyroid hormone levels decreased after surgery with improved clinical signs. At 12 months after surgery, the dog maintained a good physical condition with no evidence of recurrence.     

Horner's syndrome following cervical spinal surgery in the dog

Two dobermanns exhibited Horner's syndrome following the surgical treatment of cervical spondylopathy. Denervation hypersensitivity testing demonstrated a 2nd order lesion in both. Spontaneous resolution occurred within one month.     

Long-term survival of a cow with cervical ectopia cordis

This study investigated the long-term survival of a calf with cervical ectopia cordis that grew normally, became pregnant, and calved normally. The cow showed normal cardiac function and absence of peripheral circulation abnormalities. This paper documents antemortem characteristics of the affected cow.     

Development of hypoparathyroidism after excision of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma in a dog

An uncommon neoplasm of the larynx, rhabdomyosarcoma, was diagnosed in a 6-year-old 14-kg neutered female Spitz. In addition to the progressive onset of expected clinical signs of the tumor (exercise intolerance, respiratory stridor, inability to bark), the dog experienced hyperthermic crisis. Laryngectomy was successful in eradicating the local neoplastic tissue; however, unusual postoperative complications developed and included acute complications of pharyngotracheal fistula and hypoparathyroidism, and long-term complications of periodic collapse of the tracheal stoma and intolerance to heat. Probable causes and successful management of these complications are described. At 22 months after laryngectomy, the dog was admitted for a solitary hepatic metastasis. While hospitalized, the dog died of apparent asphyxiation attributable to stoma collapse.     

A case report of traumatic neuroma of the cervical spinal cord in a dog

Traumatic neuroma of the cervical spinal cord was diagnosed in a 14-year-old male mixed-breed dog. A gross view showed two intradural extramedullary masses, measuring 1 and 0.6 cm in length and 0.7 and 0.4 cm in diameter, attached to the left side of the spinal cord at the level of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. Microscopically, the cervical spinal masses comprised interlacing fascicles of axons and Schwann cells surrounded by collagenous stroma. Immunohistochemically, the fascicles were stained positively for neurofilament and S-100 proteins. Ultrastructurally, variably sized myelinated fibers and onion bulb-like structures were observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a traumatic neuroma in the cervical spinal cord of a dog.     

Secondary erythrocytosis associated with schwannoma in a dog

An 11-year-old, spayed female mixed-breed dog showed clinical signs of right forelimb lameness and pain by palpation around the neck. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) revealed an extradural mass at the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae, which compressed the spinal cord. The mass was surgically removed and histopathologically diagnosed as schwannoma. The dog recovered her normal gait after hemilaminectomy and removal of the mass. Ten months after the surgery, the tumor recurred with absolute erythrocytosis and was surgically removed again. This removal temporarily resolved the erythrocytosis with a decrease in plasma erythropoietin (EPO) concentration. EPO protein was detected immunohistochemically in the tumor cells. Erythrocytosis in this dog may be caused by ectopic EPO produced in the schwannoma tissues.     

Prognosis after surgical excision of fibrosarcomas in cats

Forty-four cats from which fibrosarcomas had been excised were studied for a minimum of 3 years, of until death. Two factors, tumor site and mitotic index, were found to be of prognostic significance, but tumor size, duration of growth, and histologic appearance were not. Following removal of fibrosarcomas from the pinna or flank in 6 cats, none died as a result of the tumor but 24 of 35 (70%) cats with fibrosarcoma in the skin of the head, back, or limbs were euthanatized because of local recurrence, usually within 9 months of surgery. The median survival time of cats with a tumor of mitotic index 6 or more in the head, back, or limbs was 16 weeks, compared with 128 weeks when the mitotic index was less than 6. Eleven percent of cats developed pulmonary metastases.