Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with rare metastatic testicular cancer and bone lesions
By Dugat, Danielle R et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2015·Oklahoma State University·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: An Unusual Case of Metastatic Seminoma in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male Boston Terrier was brought in for severe sensitivity to touch and occasional limping. The vet found a mass in the dog's abdomen and signs of pain in both shoulders. Tests showed unusual bone changes, and further examination revealed the mass was a retained testicle that had developed a malignant seminoma (a type of cancer) and spread to the lymph nodes and bones. The owner chose not to pursue chemotherapy after surgery, and unfortunately, there were no follow-ups to see how the dog was doing. This case is notable because bone metastasis from seminoma is very rare in dogs.
People also search for: Boston Terrier sensitivity to touch · dog limping and abdominal mass · seminoma in dogs treatment · retained testicle in dogs · dog cancer bone metastasis
Abstract
An 8 yr old, reportedly castrated male Boston terrier presented with a history of generalized hyperesthesia and intermittent shifting leg lameness. Physical examination revealed a caudal abdominal mass and bilateral shoulder pain. A complete blood count, serum biochemistry panel, and urinalysis were unremarkable. Thoracic radiographs demonstrated bony proliferation and lysis of the third sternebra, an expansile lesion of the left tenth rib, and lucency in both proximal humeral metaphyses. Abdominal radiographs and ultrasound revealed a soft tissue mass within the caudoventral right abdomen. Ultrasonography also revealed an enlarged lymph node within the right retroperitoneal space. Exploratory laparotomy identified the mass as a retained testicle. A cryptorchidectomy, lymph node biopsy, and bilateral percutaneous core biopsies of the proximal humeri were performed. Histopathologic examination revealed malignant seminoma of the testicle with metastasis to lymph node and bone. Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended, but it was declined by the owner. All follow-up was lost. This case highlights a unique case for causative hyperesthesia secondary to a novel site of metastasis from malignant seminoma. Metastasis to bone has not been reported in humans or dogs and represents a very unusual and aberrant variant of the normally relatively benign biological behavior of seminoma in the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26535460/