Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Large skin cyst and fragile skin in a dog with cutaneous asthenia
By Bessett, Jeremy P & Sebastian, Kimberley N·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2025·Department of Pathobiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Unusual Cytologic Findings in a Dog With a Keratinizing Cyst and Cutaneous Asthenia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old spayed female golden retriever was brought in with a large mass on her hind leg. Initially, tests suggested it was a keratinizing lesion, but further examination raised concerns about a possible sarcoma (a type of cancer). After removing the mass and sending it for detailed analysis, it was confirmed to be a keratinizing cyst. The dog also had significant skin issues related to a condition called cutaneous asthenia, which affects skin elasticity. Thankfully, the mass was successfully removed, and the findings provided new insights into this rare skin condition in dogs.
People also search for: dog hind leg mass · golden retriever skin problems · keratinizing cyst in dogs · cutaneous asthenia treatment
Abstract
A 5-year-old spayed female golden retriever with a history of cutaneous asthenia (Ehlers-Danlos-like syndrome) was presented with a newly noted large hindlimb mass. Cytologic evaluation performed at the referring veterinarian was consistent with a keratinizing lesion. However, a second cytologic sample was obtained from the mass, aspirating from multiple aspects, and was concerning for a sarcoma. The mass was excised and submitted for histologic evaluation. The mass effect was diagnosed as a keratinizing cyst. Additionally, there were severe dermal collagen and elastin abnormalities with multifocal fibrosis and hemorrhage (consistent with cutaneous asthenia). To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the cytologic findings in the skin of a canine with cutaneous asthenia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40505004/