No abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to study the lymph drainage of the neoplastic mammary glands in the bitch using indirect lymphography. The main conclusions drawn from the study of 41 natural cases were as follows: the first or cranial thoracic and second or caudal thoracic neoplastic mammary glands usually drain into the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes and rarely into the ipsilateral axillary and sternal lymph nodes, simultaneously. The third or cranial abdominal neoplastic mammary gland usually drains into the ipsilateral axillary and superficial inguinal lymph nodes simultaneously, but sometimes only cranially into the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes. Rarely, it drains only caudally into the ipsilateral superficial inguinal and medial iliac lymph nodes, simultaneously. The fourth or caudal abdominal neoplastic mammary gland usually drains only caudally into the ipsilateral superficial inguinal lymph nodes. Rarely, it drains into the ipsilateral axillary and superficial inguinal lymph nodes simultaneously. The fifth or inguinal neoplastic mammary gland usually drains into the ipsilateral superficial inguinal lymph nodes but rarely, does it also drain into the ipsilateral popliteal lymph node and into a lymphatic plexus at the medial aspect of the ipsilateral thigh. Lymphatic connections between the neoplastic and adjacent normal mammary glands were demonstrated in only one case. The lymph drainage pattern of the neoplastic mammary glands is slightly different to that described in normal glands using the same radiographic method.

In the staging process of the breast cancer, demonstrating metastasis of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) has an important prognostic value, in both humans and animals. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to determine the diagnostic value of computed tomographic indirect lymphography (CT-LG) for detecting SLN metastasis in dogs with mammary cancer. Thirty-three female dogs with tumors in the abdominal and inguinal mammary glands were prospectively selected and subjected to CT-LG, 1 and 5 min after injection of 1 ml of contrast agent (iopamidol) in the subareolar tissue of the neoplastic and the contralateral normal mammary glands. The pattern of postcontrast opacification, degree of postcontrast enhancement, and size and shape were assessed in 65 SLNs in total and were correlated with histopathological findings. The absence of opacification or heterogeneous opacification 1 min after contrast medium injection showed the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (93%, 100%, and 98.4%, respectively). In images taken 1 min after injection, an absolute density value lower than 444 Hounsfield units (HU) in the center of the SLN also provided significant sensitivity and specificity (93.8% and 75%, respectively). The size and shape of the SLN (maximum and minimum diameter, maximum/minimum diameter ratio, maximum diameter/height of fifth thoracic vertebral body ratio) showed the lowest sensitivity and specificity. Results of this study support the hypothesis that CT-LG could help in the assessment of SLN metastasis in cases of mammary gland tumors in dogs.

One hundred and seventy-four dogs diagnosed with cutaneous neoplasms in the Animal Medical and Surgical Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, were studied. Thirty-one types of neoplasm were diagnosed, among which mast cell tumours (13.8%), hepatoid gland adenomas (9.8%), lipomas (5.7%) and histiocytomas (5.7%) were the most common. The prevalence of epithelial, mesenchymal, lymphohistiocytic and melanocytic tumours was 47.7, 40.8, 8.6 and 2.9%, respectively. Potentially malignant neoplasms were less frequently recorded than benign neoplasms. The tumours were single (80.5%) or multiple (19.5%) and located on the head and neck (18.4%), the body trunk (49.4%), the limbs (25.9%) or at multiple sites (6.3%). The factors evaluated in multivariable logistic regression models for possible association with the odds of a tumour's potential for malignancy included the age, the sex and the breed of the dog, as well as the histological type of the neoplasm. Dogs with mesenchymal tumours had two times higher odds of potential for malignancy than those with epithelial tumours. In contrast, dogs with either lymphohistiocytic or melanocytic tumours did not have increased risk of malignancy compared with dogs with epithelial tumours. The odds of tumour malignancy linearly increased with increasing age of the dog by a factor of 1.1 per year. Finally, the eect of the sex and the breed of the dog on the risk of developing cutaneous neoplasms was investigated in an age-matched case±control sample of 348 dogs by conditional logistic regression analysis. The odds of neoplasm presence were two times higher in pure bred dogs than in mongrels but did not dier between cross-breeds and mongrels. U. S.

The survival time in a group of eight bitches with malignant mammary tumours given adjuvant post-operative chemotherapy was compared with survival in another group of eight bitches with mammary cancer which were treated by surgical excision alone. The same surgical procedure was used in both groups. All bitches had stage III disease according to the World Health Organization clinical staging system. Histologically, 10 of the bitches had complex carcinomas (carcinomatous mixed tumours), the remaining six bitches had carcinosarcomas. The chemotherapeutic protocol used was a combination of 5-fluorouracil (150 mg/m2 of body surface area) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/m2) given on the same day, intravenously, every week for four consecutive weeks. Chemotherapy was started one week post-surgery. Selected haematological parameters (packed cell volume, white blood cell count, platelet count and differential white blood cell count) and serum biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) were measured before and during chemotherapy. Survival analysis indicated that the chemotherapeutic regimen had a positive influence on the disease-free interval and the survival time of the eight bitches (P < 0.05). Although leucocyte numbers were significantly decreased (P < 0.001) during chemotherapy, the mean leucocyte counts remained within normal limits. Temporary leukopenia was noted only in one bitch. Packed cell volume and alkaline phosphatase increased significantly (P < 0.05) but within normal limits. Creatinine was also increased significantly (P < 0.01) but the mean creatinine concentrations were within normal limits, although in half of the bitches the concentrations occasionally rose above normal.