Canine myxosarcomas, a retrospective analysis of 32 dogs (2003-2018).

BACKGROUND: Myxosarcomas are known to be classified as soft tissue sarcomas. However, there is limited clinical characterization pertaining specifically to canine cutaneous myxosarcomas in the literature. The objective of this study is to evaluate the local recurrence rate, metastatic rate and prognosis of canine myxosarcoma. RESULTS: A total of 32 dogs diagnosed with myxosarcoma via histopathology were included in this retrospective study. All dogs had surgical resection. No adjunct treatments were performed in 9 dogs, while 22 dogs also received either radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or a combination of both. One dog received only NSAID after surgery. Overall median survival time (MST) was 730 days (range 20-2345 days). The MST of dogs with a tumor mitotic count < 10/10 HPF was 1393 days (range 20-2345 days). The dogs with a tumor mitotic count of 10 or greater/10 HPF had a MST of 433 days (range 169-831 days). There was no significant difference of MST among different treatment modalities. Local recurrence was noted in 13 cases (40.6%) and the median time to recurrence was 115.5 days (range 50-1610 days). The median time to local recurrence in dogs with mitotic count of < 10/10 HPF was 339 days (range 68-1610 days) and in dogs with mitotic count of 10 or greater/10 HPF was 119 days (range 50-378). Metastasis to local lymph node or lung was noted in 8 cases (25%) with median time to metastasis of 158.5 days (range 0-643 days). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this retrospective study, myxosarcoma may have a higher local recurrence rate and risk of metastasis to the local lymph nodes compared to other soft tissue sarcomas.

Myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma: report of a case with fine needle aspiration cytology.

BACKGROUND: Myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma (MFS) is a distinct neoplasm that usually arises in the acral zones of distalextremities. We report, for the first time, the preoperative fine needle a,spiration cytology (FNAC) findings of an MFS case that was confirmed after surgical excision. CASE: An 81-year-old woman presented with a multinodular tumor in the distal right extremity that had been present for 1 year. FNA C of the lesion was performed and followed by local excision. The fine needle aspiration smears contained 2 of the 3 types of neoplastic cells that have been observed in MFS: spindled and ganglionlike cells. The background was myxoid, with a prominent inflammatory infiltrate. Histopathologic examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the diagnosis of MFS. CONCLUSION: Although the cytologic diagnosis was "pleomorphic sarcoma," MFS was considered and local excision recommended, given the reported low grade nature of this entity. However, the need for extreme caution in the diagnosis of soft tissue lesions on cytologic grounds alone cannot be overemphasized.

Primary cardiac tumors: experience with 30 consecutive patients since the introduction of two-dimensional echocardiography.

Experience with 30 consecutive patients who had a total of 32 primary cardiac tumors and who underwent two-dimensional echocardiographic examinations between January 1977 and June 1983 was reviewed. Most of the tumors were atrial myxomas (20 left and 4 right), and 30 were identified on echocardiography. Twenty-five patients, including 21 of 22 with atrial myxoma, underwent surgical resection on the basis of the echocardiographic examination, without preoperative angiocardiography. When the morphologic characteristics of the left atrial myxomas were studied statistically in relation to clinical abnormalities, large tumor size was most closely related to the number and type of associated clinical and laboratory abnormalities. The single exception was embolization, which correlated with echocardiographic tumor consistency. Since the introduction of two-dimensional echocardiography, the yearly incidence of cardiac tumor diagnosis at this clinic has increased several fold and the incidence of unexpected intraoperative diagnosis has been very low (one case). Echocardiography is the method of choice for clinical diagnosis. It has replaced angiocardiography for routine preoperative assessment, permits early diagnosis of cardiac neoplasms and provides insight into the pathophysiology of primary cardiac tumors.