Correlation of Ultrasound Findings, Liver and Spleen Cytology, and Prognosis in the Clinical Staging of High Metastatic Risk Canine Mast Cell Tumors

Abstract

Cytologic sampling of the ultrasonographically normal spleen and liver is not implemented routinely in the clinical staging of canine cutaneous mast cell tumors and normal ultrasound findings are often accepted as sufficient evidence for ruling out splenic or liver metastasis. Our objective was to define the specificity and sensitivity of ultrasound findings for diagnosis of mast cell infiltration when verified with cytologic evaluation, and to define the prognostic role of cytologic evaluation of liver and splenic aspirates. Dogs with a diagnosis of clinically aggressive grade II, or grade III mast cell tumor treated with a combination vinblastine/CCNU chemotherapy protocol, were selected retrospectively based on availability of cytologic evaluation of spleen plus or minus liver for staging. Out of 19 dogs, 10 dogs had a grade II tumor and nine a grade III tumor. Seven dogs had mast cell infiltration of the spleen, liver, or both. The sensitivity of ultrasound for detecting mast cell infiltration was 43% for the spleen and 0% for the liver. Dogs with positive cytologic evidence of mast cell infiltration to spleen, liver, or both had significantly shorter survival (100 vs. 291 days) than dogs without evidence of mast cell infiltration (P<0.0001). Routine splenic aspiration should be performed regardless of ultrasonographic appearance in dogs with a clinically aggressive mast cell tumor.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Diagnostic procedures for improving of the KIT (CD117) expressed allele burden for the liver metastases from uterus mast cell tumors: prognostic value of the metastatic pattern and tumor biology

“…Common locations for metastasis include regional lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow [33,37]. Our study supports the findings of a previous report in that histologic results correlated with survival and that dogs with positive evidence of mast cell infiltration in the liver had significantly shorter survival when compared with dogs without mast cell infiltration in the liver [38]. In parallel, our finding showed multiple metastatic nodules of uterus MCTs in the intra-and parenchymal areas in the liver and these multiple oncogenic masses were identified in the dog in the present report; malignant behavior was indicated based on the poorly differentiated histopathology and immunohistochemistry marker (CD117) of the mast cells.…”

Hepatic oxidative stress in an animal model of sleep apnoea: effects of different duration of exposure

“…This kind of pathological synergy is evidenced in experimental models of liver damage induced by xenobiotic agents that cause oxidative stress such as carbon tetrachloride and toluene [49,50,52,54,58], by surgical procedures such as ligation of the common bile duct [51,53] or by thymoquinone [59]. …”

Spleen

“…72,73 The appearance of mast cell tumors in cats is similar to the patterns seen with lymphosarcoma or myeloproliferative disease and could not be distinguished from these diseases ultrasonographically (Figure 10-56; see also . 72,73 The appearance of mast cell tumors in cats is similar to the patterns seen with lymphosarcoma or myeloproliferative disease and could not be distinguished from these diseases ultrasonographically (Figure 10-56; see also .…”

“…72,73 The parenchyma may have either a normal or coarse echo texture. However, normal splenic size and echogenicity are known to occur in some cases of lymphoma and mast cell disease.…”