Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thymomas in domestic animals.
- Journal:
- Veterinary pathology
- Year:
- 1976
- Authors:
- Parker, G A & Casey, H W
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 15 cases of thymomas, which are tumors of the thymus gland, in different domestic animals. Four of these animals showed signs of trouble breathing and had noticeable lumps in their chest area. The tumors were found in the front part of the chest and were described as single, multi-lobed, and surrounded by a capsule. In dogs, the tumors mostly had clear cells, while others had a mix of different cell shapes. Although there were no signs of the tumors spreading to other parts of the body, one cat had some tumor growth on the heart's outer layer, and some sheep tumors showed signs of invading nearby tissue. Overall, the study provided important information about the characteristics of these tumors in pets.
Abstract
A retrospective study of 15 thymomas in domestic animals showed four animals had antemortem signs of dyspnea and grossly visible lumps in the thoracic inlet. The neoplasms were single, multilobulated, encapsulated masses in the anterior mediastinum or thoracic inlet. Cells with clear cytoplasm comprised the bulk of two canine thymomas, whereas the remaining neoplasms had a mixed population of ovoid and spindle-shaped cells. There were lymphocyte populations of varying density in all thymomas. Three thymomas contained structures similar to hyalinized cells and Hassall's corpuscles of normal thymus. Metastatic lesions were not seen but there were implantations on the pericardium in one cat. There was capsular invasion in the ovine thymomas.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/982751/