Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with soft tissue sarcoma and spreading tumor in leg lymph vessels
By Hicks, Kelly et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2023·From the Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: In-Transit Metastasis in a Dog with High-Grade Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Case Report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old male American Staffordshire terrier was brought in for a nonhealing wound on his leg, where a high-grade soft tissue sarcoma had been previously removed. The vet found swollen lymph nodes and a mass on his leg. After amputation of the leg and removal of nearby lymph nodes, the dog received chemotherapy. Unfortunately, about four months later, a new mass appeared, and despite palliative care, the dog was euthanized three months later due to worsening disease. This case highlights a rare type of cancer spread in dogs.
People also search for: dog soft tissue sarcoma treatment · American Staffordshire terrier cancer symptoms · dog leg amputation recovery
Abstract
A 6 yr old male castrated American Staffordshire terrier was referred for a nonhealing wound at the site of a previously incompletely excised, high-grade soft tissue sarcoma. Physical examination revealed right popliteal lymphadenopathy and a fungating mass of the right pelvic limb at the level of the hock. Thoracic and abdominal computed tomography revealed mild lymphadenopathy of multiple iliac and inguinal lymph nodes. Right pelvic limb amputation and inguinal lymphadenectomy were performed. Histopathology was consistent of a high-grade soft tissue sarcoma with diffuse spread through the lymphatic vessels of the right pelvic limb up to the right inguinal lymph node but not affecting the lymph node itself. Doxorubicin chemotherapy was elected postoperatively as adjuvant therapy. Approximately 4 mo following initiation of chemotherapy, the patient developed a firm, tubular subcutaneous mass starting near the previous amputation site with tracking toward the thorax. Fine needle aspiration of the new mass was consistent with atypical spindle cell proliferation. Palliative care was elected, and the patient was euthanized 3 mo later because of progressive disease. In-transit metastasis is a rare behavior for soft tissue sarcomas across all species, and this is the first report of such a presentation for canine soft tissue sarcoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36584319/