Veterinary Dermatology

Volume 13 Page 243 - October 2002

doi:10.1046/j.1365-3164.2002.00301.x
Volume 13 Issue 5

Primary cutaneous extragenital canine transmissible venereal tumour with Leishmania-

laden neoplastic cells: a further suggestion of histiocytic origin?
Francesco Albanese,* Alessandro Poli, Francesca Millanta and Francesca Abramo

Abstract
The clinical signs and histopathological features of a primary extragenital canine
transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) are described. Three subcutaneous round alopecic
nodules were located on the anterior and caudal dorsal region and in the ventral area of
the neck. Cytologically, tumour cells were intermediate in size with a moderate amount
of cytoplasm, and the nuclei were immature with finely reticular chromatin. The
cytoplasm was lightly to heavily basophilic and contained distinct small vacuoles at the
periphery. On the basis of these characteristics, a diagnosis of TVT was made and
confirmed by histological and ultrastructural investigations. Leishmania amastigotes were
detected in the cytoplasm of macrophages and neoplastic cells of the tumoral mass. The
presence of the parasite within neoplastic cells is consistent with a histiocytic origin of
TVT.

Vet Clin Pathol. 2006 Mar;35(1):115-8. Related Articles, Links

Nasal and oral masses in a dog.

Levy E, Mylonakis ME, Saridomichelakis MN, Polizopoulou ZS, Psychogios V, Koutinas

AF.

Veterinary Center of Thessaloniki, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle Univiersity

of Thessaloniki, Greece.

A 5-year-old, intact male, stray dog was presented in poor body condition, with pallor,
muzzle deformity, multiple oozing fistulas with grass awns, bilateral sanguinopurulent
nasal discharge and a fleshy friable mass occupying part of the hard palate. A friable mass
occupying both nasal cavities was found on rhinoscopy. The dog had moderate
nonregenerative normochromic-microcytic anemia, thrombocytopenia,
hyperglobulinemia, and hypoalbuminemia. Cytologic preparations of the nasal and oral
masses contained a neoplastic population of round cells with intracytoplasmic and
extracellular vacuoles. Leishmania amastigotes also were observed, in the cytoplasm of
macrophages and, occasionally, within neoplastic cells. A diagnosis of transmissible
venereal tumor and concurrent leishmaniosis was made. Treatment with vincristine and
allopurinol resulted in complete resolution of clinical signs and disappearance of the
masses. The presence of amastigotes in neoplastic TVT cells may suggest an alternative
mode of transmission of canine leishmaniosis where these diseases co-exist.