A 56-mo-old male guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) presented with gradual weight loss from 757 to 691 g during the preceding month. Cardiac-specific diagnostics detected decreased cardiac contractility, moderate cardiomegaly, pericardial effusion, and pulmonary edema. At 1 mo after presentation, the guinea pig died while under treatment. Necropsy revealed a 5 × 3 × 3-mm, tan, smooth nodule on the base of the heart. On histology, the nodule contained moderately cellular neoplastic tissue comprising cuboidal cells arranged in variably sized follicles. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were positive for thyroglobulin and thyroid transcription factor 1, consistent with ectopic thyroid carcinoma. Other significant histologic lesions included thyroid adenoma of the right thyroid gland, myocardial hypertrophy and degeneration, suppurative bronchopneumonia, and centrilobular hepatocellular degeneration. Although serum total thyroxine concentration was not evaluated, we considered that the tumors in this case were functional because concurrent lesions related to hyperthyroidism were present. In guinea pigs, reports of endocrine tumors, including thyroid tumors, have been increasing. To our knowledge, the current report represents the first documentation of ectopic thyroid carcinoma in this species.

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A 9-year-old female mixed-breed dog presented with alopecia, squama, scaling, erosion, and hyperpigmentation that had persisted for three months. Histopathological assessment of a skin biopsy, bone marrow aspiration, and fine needle aspiration of the liver and spleen revealed lymphocyte hyperplasia. A blood cell count also indicated severe lymphocytosis. These findings were consistent with lymphocytosis accompanied by cutaneous lesions, and not neoplastic proliferation of lymphocytes or any other pathology. The dog was treated with antibiotic, antimycotic, dietary therapy, and interferon therapy, and achieved remission of skin lesion and lymphocytosis on steroid therapy.

The neoplastic mass developed in the left flank of a Border Collie dog. The tumor was resected surgically and evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically. Histologically a moderate number of spindle cells were proliferated with staghorn, placentoid, and myxoid growth patterns and a lack of perivascular whirling. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive to vimentin, laminin, S-100 protein, CD34 and CD117 antibodies. They were negative to cytokeratin AE1/3, desmin, α-SMA and calponin antibodies. Endothelial cells of the staghorn channels were positive for vWF antibody. The present case was diagnosed as spindle cell tumor, but it was similar to human classical hemangiopericytoma (HEP) and canine HEP classified by Avallon and others.