Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with neck tumor causing breathing trouble and chemo failure
By Faisca, P et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2011·Centro de Investigaç·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ectopic cervical thymic carcinoma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male German shepherd was brought in for a large mass in his neck that was making it hard for him to breathe. Tests showed that the mass was a type of cancer called carcinoma. The dog received chemotherapy, but unfortunately, his condition did not improve, and he was euthanized due to worsening symptoms. A post-mortem examination revealed that the mass was pressing on his trachea, contributing to his breathing problems. This case is notable as it is the first reported instance of ectopic cervical thymic carcinoma in a dog.
People also search for: dog neck mass breathing problems · German shepherd cancer treatment · dog respiratory distress causes
Abstract
A 10-year-old male German shepherd dog was referred for evaluation of a cranial cervical mass causing progressively worsening respiratory distress. A fine-needle aspirate of the mass was obtained and the cytology results were compatible with a carcinoma. The dog underwent chemotherapy without clinical improvement and was ultimately euthanased because of clinical deterioration. At post-mortem examination, an irregular multi-lobated mass in the cranial cervical region was observed causing ventro-lateral tracheal deviation. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed a mixed population of CD3 lymphocytes and macrophages in an exuberant fibrous stroma, associated with dispersed cytokeratin-positive epithelial cells with marked eosinophilic cytoplasm. Some of the epithelial cells were arranged in concentric clusters that were interpreted as Hassall's corpuscles. Histopathological examination of the thyroid gland revealed several neoplastic emboli composed of epithelial cells similar to those observed in the cervical mass. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of an ectopic cervical thymic carcinoma in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21539572/