Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan features of mast cell tumors under and in dog muscles
By Farmer, Rebecca J M et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2023·Ontario Veterinary College, Canada·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: CT features of subcutaneous, intermuscular, and intramuscular mast cell tumors in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a mast cell tumor (a type of skin cancer) was evaluated using a CT scan to help plan for surgery. The imaging aimed to identify the tumor's location and how far it had spread, but the results showed that CT scans often couldn't clearly define the tumor's edges or depth, making it challenging for the surgeon to plan effectively. In fact, the CT findings were not sufficient for surgery in most cases reviewed. Ultimately, surgical removal remains the best treatment for these tumors, but the imaging techniques have limitations that pet owners should discuss with their veterinarian.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · CT scan for dog cancer · how to remove mast cell tumor in dogs
Abstract
Surgical removal is the treatment of choice for subcutaneous (SC), intermuscular (InterM), and intramuscular (IntraM) mast cell tumors (MCTs). Advanced imaging (CT or MRI) is frequently used for presurgical planning, but InterM and IntraM MCTs can be difficult to identify and delineate on CT. Aims of the current retrospective, diagnostic accuracy, observer agreement study were to describe the imaging features of SC, InterM, and IntraM MCTs on CT and to assess the limitation of CT to identify the full local extent of the MCT. Inclusion criteria for the study were dogs with a cytologically or histologically diagnosed MCTs determined to be SC, InterM, or IntraM MCT based on histology and/or a CT scan performed in the gross disease setting. Two board-certified veterinary radiologists reviewed the CT images and recorded location, contrast enhancement pattern, and delineation between the normal and abnormal tissue. Sensitivity and specificity of CT for determining location (SC/InterM versus IntraM) was 85.71% and 55.56%, respectively, when compared to consensus location based on surgical pathology report/CT/MRI review. There was a low inter-rater agreement for delineation (kappa: 0.150 (-0.070 to 0.370) and measurement had a low/moderate correlation (rho: 0.4667 to 0.5792). Upon review by a surgical oncologist, CT findings were deemed insufficient for curative surgical planning in 13 of 16 due to inadequate definition of tumor depth, compartment boundary (fascial plane) or MCT margins. The use of CT for presurgical planning of SC/InterM/IntraM MCT dogs has limitations, especially when differentiating MCT from the adjacent muscle.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36037516/