Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Golden Retriever with dendritic cell leukemia and breathing trouble
By Allison, Robin W et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2008·Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dendritic cell leukemia in a Golden Retriever.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male Golden Retriever was brought to the vet because he had a decreased appetite, was very tired, and was having trouble breathing for about a week. Tests showed he had a high white blood cell count and unusual cells in his blood that were linked to a type of cancer called dendritic cell leukemia. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread to his spleen, lungs, liver, and other areas. Despite the vet's efforts to diagnose and treat him, the condition was severe, and the dog did not survive.
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Abstract
An 8-year-old castrated male Golden Retriever was evaluated for decreased appetite, lethargy, and labored breathing of 1-week duration. Bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly were present. Results of a CBC revealed marked leukocytosis (62,600/microL; reference interval 4000-15,500/microL) and large numbers of atypical cells (30,700/microL) with abundant cytoplasm. There was no concurrent anemia, neutropenia, or thrombocytopenia. Morphology of the atypical cells was most consistent with a histiocytic origin. Similar cells were identified in bone marrow aspirates, and were morphologically suggestive of the macrophage variant of disseminated histiocytic sarcoma. However, flow cytometry of the abnormal circulating cells revealed CD1c, CD11c, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class II expression without expression of CD11d or lymphoid markers, consistent with myeloid dendritic antigen-presenting cells. At necropsy, the splenic architecture was effaced by neoplastic histiocytes that were also infiltrating lung, liver, an abdominal lymph node, myocardium, an bone marrow. Immunohistochemistry of the splenic neoplastic cells confirmed dendritic cell origin (CD1c+, CD11c+, MHC II+, no expression of CD11d and lymphoid markers). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of canine dendritic cell leukemia-in this instance accompanied by marked tissue infiltration.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18533919/