Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog diagnosed with primary lymph node mast cell tumor
By Duckhorn, Martin et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2025·Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected canine primary lymph node mast cell tumor.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old spayed female Chihuahua was found to have a suspected mast cell tumor (a type of skin cancer) in her left popliteal lymph node after her vet noticed swelling. Despite thorough testing, no primary skin tumor was found. The vet surgically removed the affected lymph nodes, and lab tests confirmed the presence of the tumor. After surgery, the dog received chemotherapy and has been doing well, remaining healthy and free of cancer for over a year and a half.
People also search for: Chihuahua lymph node tumor · mast cell tumor treatment in dogs · dog chemotherapy for cancer
Abstract
An 8-year-old spayed female Chihuahua dog was diagnosed with a suspected primary mast cell tumor (MCT) of the left popliteal lymph node (LN). Physical examination, computed tomography, and focused hind-limb ultrasound failed to identify a primary integumentary MCT. Asymmetry of the ipsilateral medial iliac LN was identified on abdominal ultrasound. Surgical excision of the left popliteal and left medial iliac LN was completed without complication. Histologic assessment confirmed overt MCT effacement of both LN. Postoperatively, the dog received adjuvant chemotherapy (vinblastine and prednisone). The dog was alive 562 d after surgery, without evidence of disease recurrence. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report in the veterinary literature documenting a suspected canine primary LN MCT. Key clinical message: Albeit rare, primary LN MCT should be a differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy in the absence of a primary integumentary tumor.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41030425/