Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Aggressive spindle cell muscle cancer in 11-month-old Boxer dog
By da Roza, Marcello Rodrigues et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2010·School of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Aggressive spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma in an 11-month-old boxer dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-month-old male Boxer was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma, which affected the frontal area of his skull. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the disease and the poor outlook for recovery, the dog's owners chose euthanasia as the best option. A thorough examination after his passing confirmed the diagnosis and revealed a high number of abnormal cells in the tumor. This case highlights the seriousness of this rare cancer in young dogs.
People also search for: Boxer dog cancer symptoms · rhabdomyosarcoma in dogs · dog euthanasia decision
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant neoplasm derived from mesenchymal tissue with a tendency toward myogenic differentiation associated with the embryogenesis of skeletal muscle. According to the histological features, it can be classified in embryonal, botryoid, alveolar, and pleomorphic, which usually correspond to clinical behavior and prognosis. The spindle cell (SCRMS) variant is a rare subtype of the embryonal RMS and is considered to be less aggressive lesion. The aim of the present paper is to report an unusual case of SCRMS in an 11-month-old male boxer dog diagnosed as extensive SCRMS that affected the frontal region of the skull. Due to the aggressive nature of the lesion and poor clinical prognosis the dog's owners preferred euthanasia as a treatment. A full postmortem examination was carried out. Microscopically, the lesion was composed of a highly cellular proliferation of spindle cells arranged in long and intersecting fascicles. After performing the immunohistochemical studies (HHF-35, smooth muscle actin, desmin and MyoD1), the present case was diagnosed as SCRMS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20460837/