Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with giant cell bone tumor causing hind limb dragging and back
By Soto-López, María Victoria et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2026·Hospital Veterinario, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Case Report: Histochemical and immunohistochemical characterization of a canine giant cell bone tumor in lumbar spine.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male Poodle was brought to the vet because he was having trouble walking and was holding his body in an unusual position. He had a history of trauma and prostatitis, and tests showed high liver enzyme levels. A neurological exam revealed that he was dragging his back legs and had pain in his lower back. Imaging showed a mass on his second lumbar vertebra, which was confirmed to be a giant cell tumor of the bone after further examination. Unfortunately, the tumor was compressing his spinal canal, which likely contributed to his symptoms.
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Abstract
A 10-year-old sexually intact male Poodle dog, weighing 14 kg, was referred with abnormal gait (ataxia) and antalgic posture. The dog had a medical history of previous trauma and prostatitis diagnosed six months ago. Serum biochemical analysis showed elevated alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase levels. Neurological examination revealed hind limb dragging, body tilt, delayed proprioception-particularly affecting the left hind limb-and pain upon palpation of the lumbar region. Imaging diagnostic made evident a mass and a significant osteolysis of the second lumbar vertebra (L2), particularly on the left side of the vertebral body, extending into the first (L1) and third (L3) lumbar vertebrae. Necropsy findings confirmed the presence of a nodular soft mass below the left kidney and a firm mass compressing the medullary canal at L1-L3. Both masses exhibited whitish areas interspersed with blood-filled spaces. The tumor comprised numerous multinucleated giant cells of the osteoclastic type (positive for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase- TRAP- and lysozyme), evenly distributed among mononuclear cells (both rounded and spindle-shaped). Alpha smooth muscle actin (SMA) was expressed in mononuclear cells, while IBA-1 staining highlighted mononuclear histiocytic cells. The final diagnosis was a primary lumbar extradural giant cell tumor of bone.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41908959/