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. 2010 May 22;52(1):35.
doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-52-35.

Cases with manifestation of chemodectoma diagnosed in dogs in Department of Internal Diseases with Horses, Dogs and Cats Clinic, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland

Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak  1 , Marcin Nowak, Urszula Paslawska, Wojciech Atamaniuk, Jozef Nicpon
Affiliations

Cases with manifestation of chemodectoma diagnosed in dogs in Department of Internal Diseases with Horses, Dogs and Cats Clinic, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland

Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak et al. Acta Vet Scand. .

Abstract

In the period of 3 years, 9 tumours of chemodectoma were supravitally diagnosed and histopathologically verified in dogs. In this period 15 351 dogs were admitted to the Clinic of Dogs and Cats and 2 145 dogs were examined in the cardiological outpatient clinic for dogs. This tumour is located in a typical place--at the base of the heart. Most frequently the tumour manifested in older boxers. Only in one case such a tumour was diagnosed in another breed of dogs. The tumours ranged in size between 3 and 16 cm in diameter. The principal sign accompanying tumours of cardiac base involved dyspnoea but in 3 cases the tumours yielded no clinical signs. All the diagnoses were additionally verified using immunohistochemical examination. We used antibodies to chromogranin A (clone DAK-A3 1:100), synaptophysin (clone SY38 1:20) and neuron-specific enolase (clone BBS/NC/VI-H14 1:150). An immunohistochemical examination is vital for the diagnosis since it allows to differentiate histologically distinct types of neoplasia which may locate in the same site and may manifest a similar histological pattern.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Radiogram of chest in right-left lateral projection. Presence of the large tumour in mediastinum elevated trachea in dorsal direction (black arrows). Outline of the tumour remains invisible since its shadow overlaps with that of the other mediastinal organs, including the heart. Case no 2.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Radiogram of chest in ventro-dorsal projection. The ventro-dorsal projection of the chest visualizes well the left and the right edge of the tumour. The widest dimension of the tumour amounts to around 8.4 cm. Note the transplaced to the right trachea (T). The approximate length amounts to 10.3 cm. Case no 2.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Echocardiography image in apical projection. Tumour of heart base seen near the aorta. Case no 4.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Autopsy. Tumour of heart base. Case no 1.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Micrographs. It showing dispersed foci of haemorrhage (long arrow) and extensive region of necrosis in centre of the tumour (short arrow) in malignant forms of the tumour.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Micrographs. It showing extensive polymorphism of cell nuclei (arrows) and their hyperchromasia in malignant cells of the tumour.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Expression of chromogranin A in cytoplasm of chemodectoma cells.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Expression of synaptophysin in cytoplasm of chemodectoma cells.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in cytoplasm of chemodectoma cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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