Objective-To evaluate recurrence rate and disease-free interval (DFI) of dogs with low-grade soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma of the extremities treated by marginal excision. Study Design-Retrospective study. Animals-Dogs (n ¼ 35) with soft tissue low-grade spindle cell sarcoma. Methods-Medical records were reviewed and dogs that had marginal surgical resection of lowgrade soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma at or distal to elbow and stifle were included. Results-Histopathologic margins were dirty (12 dogs), clean but close (12), and clean (11). Followup after surgery occurred from 210 to 2202 days (minimum, 180 days). Local recurrence and metastatic rates were 10.8% and 0%, respectively. Median DFI and survival time were not reached, because o50% of dogs died of disease-related events. Mean DFI and mean survival time were 697.8 days (95% CI: 559.7-836 days) and 703.5 days (95% CI: 566.6-840.5 days), respectively. There were no significant differences among survival functions stratified by histologic margins. Conclusion-Marginal surgical excision without adjuvant treatment of low-grade soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma of the extremities results in a low local recurrence rate. Clinical Relevance-Low-grade spindle cell sarcomas located at or distal to the elbow and stifle joints can be excised without need for wide or radical surgery. r

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Background: In the clinical staging of cutaneous mast cell tumors (cMCT), the diagnosis of metastasis is controversial based on cytological examination of lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and blood.Objectives: To define the prognostic role of ultrasound-guided cytology of spleen and liver in cMCT. The results of cytological evaluation were compared in relation with survival time.Animals: Fifty-two client-owned dogs with a diagnosis of cMCT. Methods: Selection of cases was based on cytological evaluation of liver and spleen to detect infiltration at distant sites. The Kaplan Meier method was used to compare survival in dogs with and without infiltration of spleen and liver (log-rank test P o .05).Results: Ten dogs with cMCT had mast cell infiltration of spleen, liver, or both and 4 of these dogs had involvement of the regional lymph nodes. The majority of dogs had 2 or more ultrasonographically abnormal findings simultaneously in spleen and liver. Nine dogs had grade II cMCT, and 1 had grade III cMCT. Dogs with positive evidence of mast cell infiltration to spleen, liver, or both had shorter survival times (34 versus 733 days) compared with dogs negative for mast cell infiltration at distant sites.Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Dogs with evidence of mast cell infiltration at distant sites have a shorter survival times than dogs without evidence of infiltration at distant sites. This study suggests that cytology of spleen and liver is indicated either for ultrasonographically normal or for ultrasonographically abnormal spleen and liver in dogs with cMCT.

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In brachycephalic dogs, the skull bone shortening is not paralleled by a decreased development of soft tissues. Relatively longer soft palate is one of the main factors contributing to pharyngeal narrowing during normal respiratory activity of these dog breeds, which are frequent carriers of the brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome (BAOS), which affects most part of them during their postnatal life. No histological studies assessing the morphology and the normal tissue composition of the soft palate in brachycephalic dogs are available, neither has ever been determined whether the elongated soft palate is a primary or secondary event. Aim of this study was to describe the morphology of the caudal soft palate in brachycephalic dogs with Grade I BAOS to identify potential features possibly favoring the pathogenesis of BAOS. Specimens from brachycephalic dogs (N ¼ 11) that underwent preventive surgery were collected from surgery, processed for histology, and examined at six transversal levels. The brachycephalic soft palates showed peculiar features such as thickened superficial epithelium, extensive oedema of the connective tissue, and mucous gland hyperplasia. Several muscular alterations were evidenced in addition. The results of this investigation add to the general knowledge of the anatomy of soft palate in the canine species and establish baseline information on the morphological basis of the soft palate thickening in brachycephalic dogs. Anat Rec, 294:1267Rec, 294: -1272Rec, 294: , 2011. V V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

In brachycephalic dogs, plasma TNF-α, IL-10, IL-13, L-17A, and NO concentrations were higher than values in control dogs and appeared to be associated with disease severity. These variables may be useful as indicators of inflammatory processes associated with brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome in dogs.

Background: Forty dogs presented for brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome with laryngeal collapse not over 1st degree (saccule eversion) underwent glottis endoscopic and radiographic skull measurements before surgery. Fifteen Pugs, fifteen French and ten English Bulldogs were included. The goals were prospectively to compare three common brachycephalic breeds for anatomical differences regarding glottis and skull measurements, and to assess if any correlation between glottis and skull measurements was present. Linear measurements were used to obtain glottis and skull indices. Correlations between glottis and skull indices and glottic measurements were evaluated. Finally, glottis indices were compared among the three breeds. Results: No correlation was found for glottis and skull indices. The glottic index differed among the three breeds (smaller in Pugs and higher in English Bulldogs), ultimately representing a morphologic indicator of the different larynx shape in the three breeds (more rounded in English Bulldogs, more elliptical in Pugs and in-between in French Bulldogs). Conclusions: The lack of correlation between skull/glottic indices does not support skull morphology as predictor of glottic morphology. As Pugs had the lowest glottic index, it may be speculated that Pugs' original narrow glottic width may predispose to further progressive respiratory deterioration more easily than in the other two breeds.

Brush cytology was used as a diagnostic aid in 85 cats affected with chronic intranasal disease. Fifty-three of these cases, sampled over a five-year period, were included in this study, while the other cases were excluded due to poor cellularity of the cytological samples (nine cases) or a lack of histological or follow-up data (23 cases). Thirty-six brush samples were classified by cytology as inflammatory. Subsequent histological examination revealed a false negative diagnosis of neoplasia in six cats, two of which had malignant tumours (one adenocarcinoma and one lymphoma), the remaining four having benign tumours (two adenomas and two osteochondromas). Seventeen samples were classified by brush cytology as neoplastic. This was confirmed in 16 of these cases by histology or follow-up (nine epithelial malignant tumours, six lymphomas and one osteosarcoma). In the remaining case, a false positive diagnosis of lymphoma was made. The procedure had an overall 86.8 per cent (46/53) agreement between the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions versus neoplasia, with a sensitivity of 72.7 per cent, a specificity of 96.8 per cent, a predictive value of a positive test of 94.1 per cent and a predictive value of a negative test of 83.3 per cent.