The clinical and pathologic features of systemic mastocytosis in 16 dogs are reported. There was no apparent breed or sex predilection, and the median age at presentation was 9.5 years. In 14 of 16 cases there was a primary cutaneous mast cell tumor (MCT). When cutaneous tumor location was compared with previous reports, there was no association between location and systemic dissemination. The most common presenting signs associated with the cutaneous tumor were regional dissemination, edema, ulceration, and abscessation. They were present in 12 dogs (69%). Signs of systemic illness, including anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea, were seen in eight dogs (50%). Other than the cutaneous tumors, the most consistent physical and radiographic abnormalities included lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly. Eosinophilia and basophilia were seen in two and five dogs, respectively. Six dogs had increased numbers of mast cells in peripheral blood or buffy coat smears. Five of the nine dogs evaluated had increased numbers of mast cells in bone marrow aspirates. Bone marrow aspiration was superior to both peripheral blood and buffy coat smears in predicting mastocytosis. Coagulation abnormalities were seen in three of five dogs tested.Using a conventional histomorphologic grading system, 10 of 13 (77%) tumors were classified as Grade 111 or undifferentiated and were overrepresented when compared with previous reports of cutaneous M a s . Eighty-eight percent of the dogs either died or were euthanatized because of their tumors. Organs commonly involved at necropsy included lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow; four dogs had gastroduodenal ulcers. (Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 1987; 1:75-80)

The systemic toxicity of doxorubicin, 30 mg/m2 body surface area (BSA) every 21 days to a cumulative dose of 300 mg/m2, was evaluated in six cats. Appetite, body weight, and the presence of vomiting and/or diarrhea were monitored throughout the study. Renal function was monitored by measuring serum blood urea nitrogen (RUN) and creatinine concentrations, urine specific gravity, and creatinine clearance before each treatment. Electrocardiograms and echocardiograms were also done before each treatment. The cats were killed 3 weeks after the last treatment, and complete necropsies were performed. Partial or complete anorexia occurred in all cats with significant weight loss occurring after a cumulative doxorubicin dose of 150 mg/m2 BSA. Mild vomiting and diarrhea that required no treatment also occurred sporadically in all cats. Echocardiographic changes consistent with doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy occurred in four cats after cumulative doses of 170 to 240 mg/m2 BSA. Clinical heart disease and electrocardiographic changes were not observed. Subsequent histological examination revealed myocyte vacuolization and myocytolysis in all six hearts. Renal dysfunction, characterized by increasing azotemia with progressively more dilute urine, was detected in two cats. Mean creatinine clearance values also decreased significantly throughout the study. At necropsy, all cats had histological evidence of renal

Long-term follow-up information was obtained for 39 dogs that had undergone surgical excision of nonlymphomatous, small intestinal tumors. For all dogs evaluated in this study, the median survival time was 10 months, and the one- and two-year survival rates were 40.5% and 33.1%, respectively. There was no difference in survival times between dogs with adenocarcinomas (n=23) and dogs with leiomyosarcomas (n=16). Survival times were significantly (p less than 0.0001) shorter for dogs with histological evidence of metastases at the time of surgery (median, 3.0 months) than for dogs with no histiological evidence of metastases (median, 15.0 months).

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Results from transabdominal fine‐needle aspiration of the spleen in 28 dogs and 5 cats are reported. Splenomegaly was present in 79% of these patients, and splenic masses were present in 15%. Extramedullar hematopoiesis, the most common cytologic diagnosis, was found in 24% of the patients and was associated with a variety of diseases including immune hemolytic anemia, hemangiosarcoma, and bone marrow hypoplasia. Hematopoietic neoplasms including lymphosarcoma, plasmacytoma, myelogenous leukemia, and systemic mastocytosis were diagnosed in 24% of the patients. Other diagnoses included malignant neoplasia of undetermined cell type and lymphoreticular hyperplasia. Splenic aspirates were considered normal in 18% of the animals. Two (6%) of the aspirates contained liver tissue rather than spleen. Histologic evaluation of splenic tissue was performed in 42.5% of the patients. All cytologic diagnoses correlated well with their final histologic diagnoses. Complications from the aspiration procedure were not observed, even in thrombocytopenic patients.

We report five cases presenting with soft tissue and bone overgrowth that demonstrate the ability of MRI to establish a diagnosis in the absence of specific clinical features. Disorders included macrodystrophia lipomatosa, angiolipomatosis, Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, blue rubber bleb naevus syndrome and one case of segmental limited hypertrophy. The MRI appearances, and other radiological features of these conditions are discussed. MRI is recommended in all cases of macrodystrophy when the clinical features and plain film findings are indeterminate.

An inexpensive combination chemotherapy protocol containing cyclophosphamide, dactinomycin, and 5-fluorouracil was evaluated in dogs with carcinomas. Fifteen dogs were entered in this study, and there were 1 complete response and 2 partial responses among 1 2 evaluable dogs.However, 6 of 1 5 dogs (40%) developed neurotoxicity. The neurotoxicity of this protocol was compared with a previactinomycin (actinomycin D; Cosmegen, Merck, D Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories), a potent inhibitor of protein and RNA synthesis, has recently been shown to have a broad spectrum of antineoplastic activity against spontaneous tumors in dogs.' Dactinomycin is inexpensive when compared with other commonly used antineoplastic agents (eg, doxorubicin, mitoxantrone, cisplatin, bleomycin), and this is a desirable factor in a veterinary oncology practice. Therefore, we designed an inexpensive chemotherapy protocol using cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan; Mead Johnson and Company, Evansville, IN), dactinomycin (Cosmegen; Merck, Sharp and Dohme, West Point, PA), and 5-fluorouracil (Fluorouracil; Roche Laboratories, Nutley, NJ) (CDF) for dogs with carcinomas or adenocarcinomas.In addition to being efficacious and inexpensive, chemotherapy protocols designed for widespread use in veterinary medicine must be relatively safe and nontoxic. Use of dactinomycin has resulted primarily in gastrointestinal toxicity in approximately 30% of the dogs treated; myelosuppression was rare.' Cyclophosphamide may cause myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting, hemorrhagic cystitis, and, at high doses, cardiac toxicity.'" 5-Fluorouracil(5-FTJ) has been associated with neurotoxicity, mucositis, and myelosuppression.'-IO The CDF protocol was evaluated for toxicity and compared with a similar 5-FLJ-containing protocol previously used at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital-Ohio State University (VTH-OSU). Materials and Methods Eligibility CriteriaDogs with biopsy-proven carcinomas or adenocarcinomas were eligible for this study. Criteria for entry included an expected survival greater than 3 weeks, a packed cell volume (PCV) greater than 18%, a neutrophil count greater than 2,000 cells/pL, and a platelet count greater than 50,000 cells/pL. In addition, the dogs could not have received any chemotherapy for the previous 2 weeks, nor could they have received prior dactinomycin chemotherapy. Chemotherapy ProtocolThe tumors were staged according to the Worth Health Organization-TNM system," and the dogs were treated as outlined in Table 1. A total of 10 cycles or 3 cycles beyond a complete response were to be given. Withdrawal from the study was based on prcgressive disease, unacceptable toxicity, or the owner's request. Toxicity Monitoring and Response CriteriaComplete blood counts (CBC) were evaluated weekly; hematclogical, gastrointestinal, and neurological toxicity were graded according to Table 2. Tumor responses were evaluated every 3 weeks and recorded as complete response (CR), disappearance of all clinically detectable disease; partial response (PR), >50% decrease ...

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