Cutaneous plasmacytosis in a dog (Caninus familiaris)

Abstract

Cutaneous plasmacytosis is rarely reported in veterinary medicine, but far more described in human medicine. Extramedullary plasmacytomas are plasma cell tumours without bone marrow involvement. This study aimed to report a case of a 7‐year‐old, mixed‐breed dog with a presumptive diagnosis of cutaneous plasmacytosis. At clinical examination, the dog presented 15 cutaneous nodules disseminated through the body. Cytopathological analysis revealed plasmacytoma in 13 out of 15 nodules. Thoracic radiography revealed radiopaque structures suggestive of pulmonary nodules, and abdominal ultrasonography indicated suspicion of a hepatic neoplastic process. The animal died during the diagnostic screening period, with a survival of 16 days from the initial consultation. Thus, further confirmatory tests such as histopathology and immunohistochemistry were not performed, and the pulmonary and hepatic lesions were not assessed. This report demonstrates the importance of cytopathology in the presumptive diagnosis of cutaneous plasmacytosis in a dog, considering the absence of other complementary examinations.