Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with clitoral cancer causing high blood calcium levels
By Neihaus, Steven A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2010·Affiliated Veterinary Specialists-Orange Park, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Primary clitoral adenocarcinoma with secondary hypercalcemia of malignancy in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old spayed female basset hound was brought to the vet because of a mass protruding from her vulva. After the mass was surgically removed, it was diagnosed as a clitoral adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer. Initially, her high calcium levels, which can be a sign of cancer, improved after the surgery. Unfortunately, four weeks later, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, and her calcium levels rose again. Despite the surgery, she showed signs of illness and was euthanized 22 weeks later due to complications from the cancer.
People also search for: dog vulvar mass · basset hound cancer symptoms · clitoral adenocarcinoma treatment · hypercalcemia in dogs · dog euthanasia decision
Abstract
This report describes a primary clitoral adenocarcinoma in a dog with secondary hypercalcemia of malignancy. A 10-year-old, spayed female basset hound was evaluated for a mass protruding from the vulva. The mass was excised, and a histological diagnosis of clitoral adenocarcinoma was made. No evidence of metastasis on thoracic radiographs or abdominal ultrasound was seen. Preoperative hypercalcemia resolved following excision of the mass. Cellular features were similar to an apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma, and immunohistochemistry exhibited features noted with apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma. No further treatment was elected by the owner. Internal iliac lymph-node metastasis was identified 4 weeks postoperatively, and hypercalcemia recurred 8 weeks postoperatively. The dog was euthanized 22 weeks postoperatively for signs related to hypercalcemia, including polyuria/polydipsia, lethargy, and weakness. A necropsy was performed and confirmed the presence of internal iliac lymph-node metastasis. The colon, rectum, and anal sacs were grossly and histologically normal. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of clitoral neoplasia in the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20439943/