Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with breathing trouble from rare chest sarcoma like human
By Lovell, Ser et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2017·Animal Referral Centre·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine intrathoracic sarcoma with ultrastructural characteristics of human synovial sarcoma - case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old female spayed Tibetan terrier was brought in for severe labored breathing. The vet discovered a large tumor in her chest that was causing fluid buildup around her lungs, making it hard for her to breathe. After surgery to remove the tumor, her symptoms returned within a month, and sadly, she had to be euthanized. This case highlights the challenges of treating certain types of tumors in dogs, especially when they resemble rare human cancers.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · Tibetan terrier tumor treatment · dog pleural effusion causes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Canine joint sarcomas, designated synovial sarcomas, are uncommon malignant mesenchymal neoplasms that occur in the large joints of the extremities of middle-aged, large-breed dogs. We report the diagnosis of an intrathoracic sarcoma with ultrastructural characteristics reminiscent of human synovial sarcoma in a dog. CASE PRESENTATION: A 7-year-old female spayed Tibetan terrier crossbred dog was presented for acute severe labored breathing and diagnosed with an intrathoracic neoplastic mass. The neoplasm resulted in the accumulation of substantial amounts of viscous pleural fluid that led to dyspnea. The neoplastic mass consisted of interweaving bundles of large pleomorphic mesenchymal cells, supported by an alcian blue positive myxomatous matrix. The neoplastic cells were immunohistochemically negative for cytokeratin and CD18. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the neoplastic cells had desmosome junctions, short microvilli-like structures and ample amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum resembling type B-like synoviocytes and synovial sarcoma as reported in people. Despite complete surgical excision of the neoplastic mass, clinical signs recurred after a month and led to the euthanasia of the dog. CONCLUSION: Currently, there are no immunohistochemical markers specific for synovial sarcoma. Canine neoplasms with transmission electron microscopy characteristics resembling type B-like synoviocytes should be considered similar to the human sarcomas that carry the specific translocations between chromosomes X and 18.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28814294/