A Poorly Differentiated Gastric Carcinoid in a Dog

Abstract

Figure 2. Neoplastic cells throughout the gastric mucosa of a dog, forming nests and chords (arrowheads), and within the submucosal angiolymphatics (arrow). 27ϫ. Figure 1.Mucosal aspect of the stomach of a dog. A 3.5-cmdiameter cavitating transmural and erosive lesion is located in the wall of the antrum and is surrounded by a rim of firm raised white/ brown tissue (arrowheads).A 13-year-old female whippet (13.2 kg) was presented with a 10-day history of weakness and ataxia. It had been vomiting for 3 days and had developed a cough that was sometimes productive. The dog had a normal rectal temperature, a heart rate of 96 beats/minute, and a respiration rate of 20 breaths/minute. No abnormalities were heard on thoracic auscultation. The dog was well muscled but showed pronounced weakness, with proprioceptive deficits in all 4 limbs. The dog was depressed and slightly dehydrated.A complete blood count revealed a mild lymphopenia and eosinopenia. Serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated (322 U/liter) and serum albumin was low (2.4 g/dl), with a concurrent decrease in serum calcium and total serum protein.A coagulation profile was normal. Serum thyroxin level was normal, and blood ammonia was not detected.Increased bronchial and interstitial markings with an area of increased alveolar pattern were evident on thoracic radiographs. Escherichia coli was cultured from a transtracheal aspirate. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a large erosive lesion in the stomach wall and target lesions and multiple 0.5-1.5-cm-diameter mottled to hypoechoic foci in the liver and spleen. The right and left iliac lymph nodes and the jejunal mesenteric lymph nodes were enlarged. A liver biopsy was obtained. The dog deteriorated clinically, and the vomiting became more severe, with hematemesis. A repeated coagulation profile revealed an elevated activated partial thromboplastin time. The dog was euthanized, and a postmortem examination was performed.At the postmortem examination, the pertinent findings included a 3.5-cm-diameter cavitating, erosive transmural leFrom the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536.Received for publication March 3, 1997.sion on the antral mucosa of the greater curvature of the stomach (Fig. 1). The affected mucosa was gray/green and liquefactive. The periphery of the lesion was encircled by a raised rim of irregular white/brown tissue. On the serosal surface at the center of the lesion the gastric wall was thin, and there were several mesenteric adhesions. Many 1.0-3.0-mm oval to linear raised white nodules radiated from the mesenteric adhesions. Multiple 1.0-2.0-cm-diameter raised white lobulated nodules and numerous 0.5-1.0-cm-diameter gray/green foci were present in the liver. The spleen had numerous firm tan/white/yellow raised nodules, many of which had red centers. The right renal cortex contained a focal 4.0-mm-diameter white lesion with a red center. A focal 2.0-ϫ 2.5-cm firm white/tan plaque-like lesion was found on the parietal pleura of the left caudal lu...

Endocrine/Neuroendocrine System

“…In dogs and cats, the most common location for carcinoids is in the gastrointestinal tract (Albers et al, 1998;Sako et al, 2003). Other locations include the nasal cavity (Sako et al, 2005), pharynx (Patnaik et al, 2002), lung ( Fig.…”

Primary Gastric Histiocytic Sarcoma in a Dog – A Case Report

“…Among lymphoid neoplasms, a case of canine gastric extramedullary plasmacytoma has been described (Brunnert et al., 1992). Only two cases of canine gastric carcinoids have been reported (Albers et al., 1998; Head et al., 2002). Secondary tumours are rare: metastatic carcinoma and mesothelioma are reported in domestic animals (Head et al., 2002).…”

Gastric Neuroendocrine Carcinoma in a Dog

“…serotonin) [1,3,13]. Likewise, the tumour in the present study was positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin and cytokeratin, and the tumour of the female whippet, in contrast to the present case, was additionally positive for NSE [9]. In the Lundehund, gastric NET was confirmed by chromogranin A and synaptophysin immunohistochemistry [11].…”

“…The invasive growth and invasion of blood vessels however makes distant metastases likely and argues for malignant behaviour. The mitotic index of the gastric NET identified in the present report was fairly low (2 -20 per 2 mm 2 ), which is comparable to the mitotic index of gastric NET in the Lundehund but slightly lower than that of the female whippet [9,11]. According to the human and veterinary diagnostic criteria, the present case of a gastric NET would be designated as a well-differentiated intermediate-grade (G2) malignant NET/NEC.…”

“…Histologically, the tumour was described as a poorly differentiated NEC with high mitotic rate, multifocal necrosis and invasion of blood and lymphatic vessels. Metastases were observed in liver, spleen, kidney, lungs, lymph nodes and brain [9,10]. More recently, gastric carcinoids were reported in the Norwegian Lundehund, a breed often afflicted by chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and gastric tumours, including gastric carcinoma and NEC [11,12].…”