Treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma results in improved outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes in a cohort of dogs with histologically confirmed retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) and to identify potential variables of prognostic significance. ANIMALS: 46 client-owned dogs from 10 clinics with histopathologic diagnosis of a sarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal space. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to obtain information regarding clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes. Recorded variables were analyzed to report descriptive data for all cases and overall survival time. Multivariate analysis was utilized to evaluate prognostic factors for overall survival. RESULTS: Hemangiosarcoma was the most common histologic subtype diagnosed (76.1%). Cytoreductive and curative intent surgical excision of the RPS was attempted in 12 and 22 dogs, respectively; 12 dogs underwent no surgery or had an exploratory laparotomy with incisional biopsy only. Nineteen dogs received adjuvant chemotherapy, either injectable or metronomic, and 1 dog received adjuvant radiation therapy. Fourteen of the 34 (41.2%) surgically treated dogs developed evidence of local recurrence, but there was no difference in local recurrence when comparing dogs categorized as curative intent versus cytoreductive surgery. The median overall survival time was 238 days. On multivariable analysis, treatment approach was associated with survival with surgical excision (vs palliative treatment) and adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery being protective against death. A diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma was associated with a greater hazard of death. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study demonstrates a substantially greater survival time than previously published and suggests a survival benefit from surgical excision and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Metastatic carcinoma of unknown origin in a dog.

Although cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP) is well-described in the human literature, it is not as well-understood within veterinary medicine. This case report represents one of few focused on describing CUP in a dog. Key clinical message: Metastatic CUP should be considered as a differential diagnosis despite being a rare disease entity that is infrequently reported within the veterinary literature.

Carcinome métastatique d'origine inconnue chez un chien. Bien que le cancer d'origine primaire inconnue (CUP) soit bien décrit dans la littérature humaine, il n'est pas aussi bien compris en médecine vétérinaire. Ce rapport de cas représente l'un des rares à s'intéresser à la description du CUP chez un chien.Message clinique clé:Le CUP métastatique doit être considéré comme un diagnostic différentiel bien qu'il s'agisse d'une entité de maladie rare rarement rapportée dans la littérature vétérinaire.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Long-term outcomes associated with a modified versus traditional closed anal sacculectomy for treatment of canine anal sac neoplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To report the short-term and long-term outcomes of dogs that underwent the modified closed and traditional closed anal sacculectomy procedures for the treatment of anal sac neoplasia. ANIMALS: 90 client-owned dogs. Methods: The medical records of 2 tertiary referral hospitals were reviewed to identify dogs that underwent anal sacculectomy for treatment of anal sac neoplasia between January 2016 and December 2020. Data collected included signalment and preoperative diagnostic findings. The occurrence of intraoperative and postoperative complications, short-term outcomes, and long-term outcomes were also collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize dog signalment information, and recurrence, metastasis, and survival proportions were compared between techniques using Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: 35 and 55 dogs, respectively, underwent the modified or traditional closed anal sacculectomy procedure. Minor postoperative complications that resolved with minimal intervention occurred in 5 of 35 (14.3%) modified approach dogs and 12 of 55 (21.8%) traditional approach dogs. Tumor recurrence was confirmed in 8 of 35 (22.9%) modified and 8 of 55 (26.4%) traditional approach dogs and was suspected in 3 of 35 (8.6%) and 6 of 55 (13.2%; P = .68), respectively. Confirmed metastatic disease was identified in 8 of 35 (22.9%) and 14 of 53 (26.4%) modified and traditional approach dogs, respectively, and was suspected in 4 of 35 (11.4%) and 7 of 53 (13.2%). Sixty-three (70%) dogs survived to study conclusion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: No benefits in complication rate or local recurrence were identified in dogs following the modified approach as opposed to the traditional closed anal sacculectomy technique.

Hemangiosarcoma of the nasal planum in cats: five cases (2010-2021).

CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Nasal planum tumors are rare in cats, with squamous cell carcinoma over-represented. Other skin tumors have been reported in this location and though hemangiosarcoma frequently occurs on the skin of the head, these tumors localized to the nasal planum have not been specifically reported. The objectives of this study were to report the clinical findings and outcomes in cats diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma of the nasal planum. Medical records from four different institutions were reviewed to identify cats with a definitive diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma of the nasal planum. Five cats met the inclusion criteria. One cat was treated with palliative radiation therapy (RT) alone, two cats had lesions removed via an excisional biopsy by the primary care veterinarian and two cats had excisional biopsies performed at a referral institution. All four cats that received surgical treatment were treated with adjuvant strontium-90 therapy. The cat receiving palliative RT alone was lost to follow-up 311 days after treatment. At the time of writing, the survival time for 2/3 cats receiving surgery and strontium-90 was 365 days and 1381 days, respectively. One cat receiving this combination of therapy was lost to follow-up immediately after treatment. One cat developed tumor recurrence and a revision surgery via nasal planectomy and upper lip resection was performed 376 days following the initial surgery. Following revision, palliative RT was pursued. The cat was still alive at the time of writing 618 days after the initial procedure, with no evidence of recurrence. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: In this case series, surgery was the primary treatment used, but due to the location, only narrow or incomplete surgical margins were possible. RT (strontium-90 and/or palliative) was utilized to decrease the risk of recurrence.

Clinical presentation and outcome in cats with aural squamous cell carcinoma: a review of 25 cases (2010-2021).

CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Ear canal neoplasia is uncommon in cats. Ceruminous gland adenocarcinoma is the most frequently reported malignant neoplasm of the feline ear canal, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm diagnosed in the feline middle ear. However, limited information exists on the outcome of cats diagnosed with SCC of the ear canal, middle or inner ear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the outcome of cats diagnosed with SCC affecting these locations. Medical records were reviewed at multiple institutions to identify cats with a definitive diagnosis of SCC. Twenty-five cats were identified. Eleven cats were treated with surgery, eight with medical management, two with coarse fractionated radiation therapy, two with a combination of coarse fractionated radiation therapy and chemotherapy, one with a combination of surgery and coarse fractionated radiation therapy, one cat with systemic chemotherapy and one cat received no treatment following diagnosis. The median survival time of cats treated with surgery was 168 days vs 85 days (P = 0.28) for those treated palliatively with either medical management, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: This case series documented that SCC of the ear canal, middle and/or internal ear is a locally aggressive tumor that carries an overall poor prognosis. The median survival time for cats treated with surgery was longer than that with any other modality, but this difference was not statistically significant.

Complications associated with iliosacral lymphadenectomy in dogs with metastatic apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma.

Objective: To report intraoperative and immediate postoperative complications associated with removal of metastatic iliosacral lymph nodes in dogs with apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma. Animals: There were 136 client-owned dogs in the study. Procedure: Retrospective multi-institutional study. The database of collaborating institutions was searched for dogs with metastatic apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma that underwent lymphadenectomy for removal of one or more iliosacral lymph nodes. Information of signalment, hematological abnormalities, abdominal computed tomography or ultrasound findings, number and size of enlarged lymph nodes, intraoperative and postoperative complications, treatment and outcome were collected. Results: The overall complication rate associated with metastatic iliosacral lymphadenectomy was 26.1%. The only intraoperative complication recorded was hemorrhage and was reported in 24 (17.6%) surgeries, 11 (45.8%) of which received a blood transfusion. Postoperative complications were reported in 10.4% of surgeries, and included edema formation (n = 4, 2.6%), unilateral or bilateral paraparesis (n = 4, 2.6%), hypotension (n = 3, 2.0%), surgical site infection (n = 2, 1.3%), abdominal incision dehiscence (n = 1, 0.6%), urinary incontinence (n = 1, 0.6%), and death (n = 1, 0.6%). The size of the iliosacral lymph nodes was significantly associated with a greater risk of complications, hemorrhage, and the need of transfusion during lymphadenectomy for metastatic apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Complications associated with iliosacral lymphadenectomy for metastatic apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma are relatively common and mostly relate to hemorrhage. These complications are significantly associated with the size of the extirpated metastatic lymph nodes. Clinical relevance: This retrospective study provides information for the clinician regarding the potential surgical complications for extirpation of metastatic iliosacral lymph nodes. These complications, although not common, can be severe and should be discussed with owners before surgery.

Objectif: Rapporter les complications peropératoires et postopératoires immédiates associées à l'ablation des ganglions lymphatiques ilio-sacrés métastatiques chez les chiens atteints d'un adénocarcinome des glandes apocrines des sacs anaux. Animaux: Il y avait 136 chiens appartenant à des clients dans l'étude. Procédure: Étude multi-institutionnelle rétrospective. La base de données des institutions collaboratrices a été recherchée pour les chiens atteints d'un adénocarcinome métastatique des glandes apocrines des sacs anaux qui ont subi une lymphadénectomie pour l'ablation d'un ou plusieurs ganglions lymphatiques ilio-sacrés. Des informations sur le signalement, les anomalies hématologiques, les résultats de la tomodensitométrie abdominale ou de l'échographie, le nombre et la taille des ganglions élargis, les complications peropératoires et postopératoires, le traitement et les résultats ont été recueillis. Résultats: Le taux global de complications associées à la lymphadénectomie ilio-sacrée métastatique était de 26,1 %. La seule complication peropératoire enregistrée était une hémorragie et a été rapportée dans 24 (17,6 %) chirurgies, dont 11 (45,8 %) ont reçu une transfusion sanguine. Des complications postopératoires ont été signalées dans 10,4 % des interventions chirurgicales et comprenaient la formation d'oedème (n = 4, 2,6 %), la paraparésie unilatérale ou bilatérale (n = 4, 2,6 %), l'hypotension (n = 3, 2,0 %), l'infection du site opératoire (n = 2, 1,3 %), la déhiscence de l'incision abdominale (n = 1, 0,6 %), l'incontinence urinaire (n = 1, 0,6 %) et le décès (n = 1, 0,6 %). La taille des ganglions ilio-sacrés était significativement associée à un risque accru de complications, d'hémorragie et à la nécessité d'une transfusion lors d'une lymphadénectomie pour un adénocarcinome métastatique des glandes apocrines des sacs anaux. Conclusion: Les complications associées à la lymphadénectomie ilio-sacrée pour l'adénocarcinome métastatique des glandes apocrines des sacs anaux sont relativement fréquentes et concernent principalement l'hémorragie. Ces complications sont significativement associées à la taille des ganglions lymphatiques métastatiques retirés. Pertinence clinique: Cette étude rétrospective fournit des informations au clinicien concernant les complications chirurgicales potentielles pour le retrait des ganglions lymphatiques ilio-sacrés métastatiques. Ces complications, bien que rares, peuvent être graves et doivent être discutées avec les propriétaires avant la chirurgie.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Mediastinal Fibrosarcoma in a Dog-Case Report.

This represents the first published case report of mediastinal fibrosarcoma in a dog. An 8-year-old male neutered mixed breed dog was presented for evaluation of lethargy and increased panting. Thoracic focused assessment with sonography for trauma revealed moderate pleural effusion. Thoracic radiograph findings were suggestive of a cranial mediastinal mass. Computed tomography revealed a mass within the right ventral aspect of the cranial mediastinum. On surgical exploration, a cranial mediastinal mass with an adhesion to the right cranial lung lobe was identified and removed en-bloc using a vessel sealant device and requiring a partial lung lobectomy. Histopathology results described the cranial mediastinal mass as fibrosarcoma with reactive mesothelial cells identified within the sternal lymph node. The patient was treated with systemic chemotherapy following surgical removal. To date, the dog has survived 223 days following diagnosis with recurrence noted 161 days following diagnosis and radiation therapy was initiated. Primary cranial mediastinal fibrosarcoma while a seemingly rare cause of thoracic pathology in dogs, should be considered in the differential diagnosis for a cranial mediastinal mass.