Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What pilomatricoma skin lumps look like in dogs on needle biopsy
By Masserdotti, Carlo & Ubbiali, Federica Annamaria·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2002·Clinica Veterinaria S. Antonio, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fine needle aspiration cytology of pilomatricoma in three dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was found to have a skin lump, which was diagnosed as a pilomatricoma, a type of tumor that can occur in dogs. The vet used a fine needle to take a sample of the lump for testing, which showed specific cell types that confirmed the diagnosis. After the lump was surgically removed, the dog recovered well. This case highlights how fine needle aspiration can help identify certain skin tumors in dogs, preventing misdiagnosis.
People also search for: dog skin lump diagnosis · pilomatricoma in dogs · dog tumor removal recovery
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration cytology is being used for the diagnosis of various neoplasms, but we are unaware of reports dealing with the cytologic features of canine pilomatricoma. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report was to describe the cytologic features of pilomatricoma in 3 dogs. METHODS: Fine-needle aspirates were obtained from cutaneous masses using a 25-ga needle. Smears were prepared and stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa and hematoxylin and eosin. The cutaneous masses were excised and routinely processed for histologic examination. RESULTS: Cytologic features of all 3 tumors included high cellularity and numerous clusters of tightly arranged of basaloid cells with evenly distributed chromatin and small distinct nucleoli surrounding sheets of "ghost cells". Ghost cells were characterized by a central unstained zone corresponding to the site previously occupied by the nucleus. Amorphous keratinized material was observed in 1 tumor. Histopathologic findings confirmed the diagnosis of pilomatricoma in all 3 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Basaloid cells in association with ghost cells are important cytopathologic criteria that may provide a definitive cytologic diagnosis of pilomatricoma in dogs, and may help avoid a false diagnosis of malignancy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12019475/