Columnar cell lesions of the canine mammary gland: pathological features and immunophenotypic analysis

Abstract

BackgroundIt has been suggested that columnar cell lesions indicate an alteration of the human mammary gland involved in the development of breast cancer. They have not previously been described in canine mammary gland. The aim of this paper is describe the morphologic spectrum of columnar cell lesions in canine mammary gland specimens and their association with other breast lesions.MethodsA total of 126 lesions were subjected to a comprehensive morphological review based upon the human breast classification system for columnar cell lesions. The presence of preinvasive (epithelial hyperplasia and in situ carcinoma) and invasive lesions was determined and immunophenotypic analysis (estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), high molecular weight cytokeratin (34βE-12), E-cadherin, Ki-67, HER-2 and P53) was perfomed.ResultsColumnar cell lesions were identified in 67 (53.1%) of the 126 canine mammary glands with intraepithelial alterations. They were observed in the terminal duct lobular units and characterized at dilated acini may be lined by several layers of columnar epithelial cells with elongated nuclei. Of the columnar cell lesions identified, 41 (61.2%) were without and 26 (38.8%) with atypia. Association with ductal hyperplasia was observed in 45/67 (67.1%). Sixty (89.5%) of the columnar cell lesions coexisted with neoplastic lesions (20 in situ carcinomas, 19 invasive carcinomas and 21 benign tumors). The columnar cells were ER, PgR and E-cadherin positive but negative for cytokeratin 34βE-12, HER-2 and P53. The proliferation rate as measured by Ki-67 appeared higher in the lesions analyzed than in normal TDLUs.ConclusionsColumnar cell lesions in canine mammary gland are pathologically and immunophenotypically similar to those in human breast. This may suggest that dogs are a suitable model for the comparative study of noninvasive breast lesions.

Analysis of EGFR and HER-2 expressions in ductal carcinomas in situ in canine mammary glands

“…cancer (Antuofermo et al, 2007;Ferreira et al, 2010). However, a careful morphological evaluation of these lesions and their molecular behavior has not been fully explored, preventing conclusive studies of the oncogenic behavior of these lesions (Antuofermo et al, 2007).…”

Histologic Evidence of the "Sick Lobe" Carcinogenesis Theory and the Frequency of Intraepithelial Lesions in the Mammary Glands of Female Canines with no Clinical Signs of Neoplasia

“…There is even less consensus in veterinary medicine, and although IELs are reported and classified as in human medicine, few studies have thoroughly investigated these lesions in dogs or compared them with those of humans [13,17,44]. Additionally, with the exception of the works by Mouser, et al [17] (in which the study animals had no clinical signs of mammary tumors) and Mohammed, et al [13] (in which some females did not have mammary tumors), previous studies on IELs have included animals with clinical mammary tumors [10,18]. This complicates comparisons.…”

“…These lesions are pathologically and immunephenotypicaly similar to those in human breast [18]. In our study, all columnar lesions (7%) were contained within CIS; in women, the columnar injuries are considered to be markers for the presence of atypia, with a two-fold increased risk of progressing to a breast cancer [30].…”

“…These criteria are based on the fact that these IELs can originate from the lobules or the ducts of the MG [16]. IELs are categorized as adenosis, sclerosing adenosis, intraductal papilloma, sclerosing papilloma, ductal hyperplasia, Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH), Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS; high, intermediate, and low grade) [17] and columnar cell lesions of the canine mammary gland [18]. This is the first of two reports documenting the early development of IELs in female canines.…”

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“…These criteria were established by consulting medical pathologists, the literature regarding canine mammary pathologies [29], and recent textbooks on woman breast pathologies [11,[30][31][32]. The classification of Ferreira, et al [18] was followed for the columnar lesions. For carcinomas, the grade was primarily established by nuclear pleomorphism and the presence of mitosis: Low grade (1), intermediate grade (2) or high grade (3) [10,17,32,33].…”