Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rapidly growing gum muscle tumor in a 3-year-old Shih Tzu dog
By Kimura, M et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2013·Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Gingival rhabdomyosarcoma accompanied by an immature myogenic population immunoreactive for α-smooth muscle actin in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old female shih tzu was brought to the vet with a rapidly growing mass in her gums that changed from white to dark red. Unfortunately, due to the aggressive nature of the tumor, the decision was made to humanely euthanize her. The mass was diagnosed as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that affects muscle tissue. This case highlights the importance of early detection and intervention for unusual growths in pets, as they can indicate serious health issues.
People also search for: dog gum tumor · shih tzu cancer symptoms · gingival mass in dogs
Abstract
A 3-year-old female shih tzu was presented with a white to dark red mass arising from the gingiva. Because of the rapid and invasive growth of the mass, the dog was humanely destroyed. Microscopically, round to polygonal anaplastic cells with strongly eosinophilic cytoplasm grew in an alveolar pattern separated by fibrous stroma. Mitotic figures were numerous. Multinucleated cells and 'strap cells' were observed, but cross striation and glycogen accumulation were absent. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells were positive for vimentin, desmin, muscle-specific actin and MyoD1, and a small number of tumour cells were positive for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Based on the morphological and immunohistochemical features, the gingival mass was diagnosed as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma accompanied by α-SMA-positive immature myogenic cells.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23273582/