Needle‐tract implantation after fine‐needle aspiration biopsy of a renal cell carcinoma in a dog

Abstract

A seven-year-old neutered female Cane Corso dog was brought in emergency for black-coloured urine associated with dysorexia for less than 24 hours. Ultrasound examination and abdominal CT scan showed a heterogeneous right renal mass and local invasion of the adjacent caudal vena cava. A percutaneous ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the right renal mass was performed and concluded with a renal cell carcinoma. A right nephro-ureterectomy in conjunction with a partial resection of the vena cava was performed. Eight months postoperatively, needle-tract implantation was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, the seeding of renal cell carcinoma on the abdominal wall after percutaneous ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy has never been reported. This rare complication should not discourage its use in the evaluation of renal mass lesions. However, practitioners should be informed about the risk of a tumour spreading along the needle tract and the need for long-term follow-up and control.

Fine‐needle aspiration of cutaneous, subcutaneous, and intracavitary masses in dogs and cats using 22‐ vs 25‐gauge needles

“…Also, FNA could cause or worsen clinical signs, especially in patients with mast cell tumors associated with degranulation or Darier's sign . While tumor implantation or needle‐tract implantation is a rare complication, it has been reported in small animals with pulmonary adenocarcinomas, renal cell carcinomas, and transitional cell carcinomas …”

Needle tract seeding and malignant transformation of hepatocellular adenoma into well‐differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma in a dog

“…Needle-tract seeding is a known complication associated with percutaneous needle biopsies in both humans and animals, and although its incidence is rare, the development of needle tract metastases following biopsies has been described in almost every type of neoplasm in human medicine. 13 In veterinary medicine, it has been described in the urinary bladder, urethral, and prostatic transitional cell carcinoma [14][15][16][17] pancreatic carcinoma, 18 pericardial mesothelioma, 19 renal cell carcinoma, 20 carcinomatosis, 21 and pulmonary adenocarcinoma. 16,22 Seeding of HCC along the needle tract is widely described in human medicine, and although the incidence of needletract seeding was initially thought to be high (up to 5% of cases, depending on the study), 23 a recent larger study described a low incidence (0.25%) of needle track seeding in patients with HCC.…”

Feline abdominal ultrasonography: What’s normal? What’s abnormal? Renal pelvis, ureters and urinary bladder

“…60 There are also additional reports of seeding occurring following aspiration of neoplastic material, particularly carcinomas, in dogs and humans. [84][85][86][87] Therefore, it is prudent to warn owners of this potential risk and avoid performing cystocentesis through any part of the bladder wall that is suspected or confirmed to be neoplastic.…”