Hemangiosarcomas confined to the skin and underlying muscle were surgically excised in 2 5 dogs. Tumors were staged based on their histological location (ie, dermal, hypodermal, and deep). Dermal (stage I) hemangiosarcomas were small, most commonly ventral-abdominal or prepucia1 in location, and were associated with prolonged survival times (median survival, 780 days). Tumors with hypodermal (stage II) and underlying muscular involvement (stage 111) were grouped together because of their larger size, bruise-like appearance, lack of anatomic predilection, emangiosarcoma (HSA, malignant hemangioendo-H thelioma, angiosarcoma) is a neoplasm arising from endothelial cells.' It occurs more frequently in the dog than in any other species, with a reported prevalence of 0.3% to 2.0%.2-6 The spleen is the most frequent primary site of involvement; however, primary dermal and hypodermal HSAs are also common, accounting for 14% of these tumors in There are few reports specifically describing the biological behavior of HSAs originating from cutaneous (ie, dermal or hypodermal) tissues in dogs."-" Most cutaneous forms are included in the literature as part ofa large series ofdogs with HSAs, regardless of the tissue of rigi in.^,','^-^^ Frequently, it is difficult to distinguish cutaneous HSA from HSA of other origins (eg, splenic, right atrial) in these reports. The presence of 1 or more cutaneous HSAs may represent metastatic disease rather than a primary lesion, and therefore has frequently been associated with a poor prognosis." Cutaneous HSAs are rare in humans, in whom they have been described as highly invasive neoplasms with a high rate of local recurrence.23 They occur almost exclusively in I of 3 separate clinical presentations: ( 1) previously irradiated skin; ( 2 ) the face and scalp of elderly patients; and (3) the chronic lymphedematous extremity, often in postmastectomy patients.24 The long-term prognosis for these patients is extremely poor, with a reported median survival time of only 20 months after radical surgxal excision and adjuvant radiotherapy.25 The only two prognostic factors identified in humans with cutaneous HSA include the size of the lesion at the time of diagnosis and the degree of lymphocytic infiltration around the t~m o r .~~,~~ Tumors less than 5 cm in diameter and those with lymphocytic infiltrates are associated with longer survival times.",26Vascular stasis, radiation therapy, trauma, and sun exposure have been suggested as predisposing factors for the development of cutaneous HSAs in humans.26 Solar radiation has been proposed to play a causal role in spontaneously occumng dermal HSAs in dogs.'' In addition, HSAs have been experimentally induced with UV radiation in dogs2'The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics and survival times in dogs with primary cutaneous HSAs treated by surgical excision. Materials and MethodsRecords of the University of Florida and The Ohio State University veterinary pathology services were reviewed to identify all pribiological beha...

13 not aware of evidence to show that prolongation of hospital stay in these patients will result in a lower mortality.We have adopted a conservative attitude to the treatment of complete heart block and all patients were treated medically except for two who were paced electrically. Anterior infarction as a cause of heart block was associated with a higher mortality (78%) than inferior infarction (36%). These figures compare adequately with those of Lassers and Julian (1968) Smyllie, H. C., Taylor, M. P., and Cuninghame-Green, R. A. (1972). British Medical Journal, 1, 34. Spiekerman, R. E., Brandenburg, J. T., Achor, R. W. P., and Edwards, J. E.(1962). Circulation, 25, 57. Thompson, P., and Sloman, G. (1971). British Medical Journal, 4, 136. Wood, P. (1956

Background: The dosage of carboplatin in cats has been reported anecdotally and experimentally in non-tumor-bearing cats, but the dosage for carboplatin treatment in tumor-bearing cats has yet to be defined in a prospective clinical trial.Purpose: To determine the maximally tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicosis (DLT) of carboplatin in tumorbearing cats.Cats: Fifty-nine cats with measurable solid tumors. Methods: The starting dose of carboplatin was 160 mg/m 2 of body surface area IV. Doses were increased by 20 mg/m 2 in cohorts of 3-14 cats until the MTD was reached.Results: The 59 cats entered into this multi-institutional phase I study received 1 or more doses of carboplatin at various dosages and were evaluated for toxicity, response to treatment, or both. The MTD was 240 mg/m 2 and neutropenia was the DLT. For the 1st cycle of treatment in 44 cats evaluated for neutropenia, 6 episodes of grade 3 or greater neutropenia occurred on days 7 (n 5 1), 14 (n 5 4), and 21 (n 5 1). There was no evidence of drug-induced nephrotoxicosis or pulmonary edema. Preliminary evidence of antitumor activity was observed in 7 of 59 (11.9%; 95% CI, 5.6-22.8%) cats evaluated for response to treatment. There was 1 complete response (cutaneous hemangiosarcoma) and 6 partial responses (4 injection site sarcomas, 1 oral squamous cell carcinoma, 1 lymphoma). Responses were of short duration (median, 42 days; range, 7-168 days).Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The dose of carboplatin recommended to treat tumor-bearing cats is 240 mg/m 2 IV every 3-4 weeks.

Abdominal ultrasonography was performed in seven cats with intestinal lymphoma and four cats with gastric lymphoma. Ultrasonographic abnormalities included the presence of a hypoechoic mass associated with the gastrointestinal tract, focal or diffuse thickening of the gastric wall, symmetric thickening of the bowel wall, loss of the normal layered appearance of the gastrointestinal wall, and abdominal lymphadenopathy. The thickness of the stomach wall ranged from 8 to 22 mm in cats with gastric lymphoma, and the thickness of the bowel wall ranged from 5 to 20 mm in cats with intestinal lymphoma. Fine needle aspiration of a gastrointestinal lesion was performed without complication in six cats, and was diagnostic for lymphoma in five out of six. Results of this study indicate that ultrasonography is an effective noninvasive means of identifying lesions consistent with alimentary lymphoma in cats.

Eight cats with histoplasmosis were treated with itraconazole at 5 mg/kg per dose PO bid. There were multiple sites of infection, and 2 of the cats had hypercalcemia that was attributed to the histoplasmosis. All 8 cats were eventually cured, but 2 cats experienced recurrences of disease after completion of therapy, requiring 2 to 3 additional months of itraconazole. There were no clinically relevant adverse effects during treatment. Although a limited number of cats were treated, the study suggests that itraconazole is a well-tolerated and effective drug for the treatment of histoplasmosis in the cat.