Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Case report: Hemangioblastoma in the brainstem of a dog
- Journal:
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Kirsten Landsgaard et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States · CH
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old neutered male American Pit Bull Terrier was taken to Texas A&M University because he had been having trouble with balance and coordination for three weeks, along with circling, tilting his head, and appearing dull or less alert. A thorough neurological exam showed issues with his balance and coordination. After he passed away, a postmortem examination found a small, soft, dark red tumor in the brainstem, which is a rare type of tumor called hemangioblastoma. This case might be the first reported instance of this type of tumor occurring specifically in the brainstem of a dog.
Abstract
A 3-year-old castrated male, American Pit Bull Terrier presented to Texas A&M University due to a 3-week mixed cerebellar and general proprioceptive ataxia, circling, head tilt, and dull mentation. Neurologic examination revealed signs of vestibular and mesencephalic dysfunction. Postmortem examination revealed a 1.1 × 1 × 0.8-cm, soft, dark red, well-circumscribed, left-sided mass, extending from the crus cerebri of the midbrain caudally to the pons. Microscopically, the neoplasm was composed of a spindle-shaped interstitial population of cells interspersed between a prominent capillary network, consistent with the reticular pattern of hemangioblastoma. Interstitial cells had strong, diffuse, intracytoplasmic immunolabeling for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and were variably positive for intracytoplasmic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Vascular endothelial cells had strong diffuse, intracytoplasmic immunolabeling for von Willebrand factor (VWF) glycoprotein. To date, only six cases of hemangioblastoma have been reported in canines, five in the spinal cord, and one in the rostral cerebrum. Our case may represent the first canine hemangioblastoma localized to the brainstem.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1126477