Hereditary multifocal renal cystadeno‐carcinomas and nodular dermatofibrosis in 51 German shepherd dogs

Abstract

The clinical findings in German shepherd dogs with hereditary multifocal renal cystadenocarcinomas and nodular dermatofibrosis are presented. Between 1978 and 1996, 51 cases were examined. Eight cases were detected after being offered a clinical examination because the disease was present in a parent. The remaining 43 dogs were diagnosed after an unsolicited visit to a clinic because of a specific problem. Skin lesions were the main reason (37 per cent) the owners presented their dog for examination. The mean age at diagnosis of renal cystadenocarcinomas and nodular dermatofibrosis was 8.2 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.1, while the corresponding figure for a reference population was 1.25. Enlarged and abnormally shaped kidneys were palpated in 60 per cent of the dogs and were detected by radiography in 86 per cent of cases. The renal lesions, including metastases, were the main reason for euthanasia and death. The mean age at death was 9.3 years, and the mean age at the first detection of nodular dermatofibrosis was 6.4 years.

Ultrassonografia abdominal pré-operatória em cães e gatos com suspeita de tumores abdominais

“…Apesar de mencionada a determinação de malignidade para tais casos, acreditase que esse dado deve ser realizado com cuidado, já que as neoplasias renais podem ter características císticas e, ainda, abscedações em conjunto, dificultando tal objetivação (MOE & LIUM, 1997 (MAGNE, 2000).…”

Renal Cell Carcinoma in Humans and Animals: A Brief Literature Review

“…There is no obvious breed predisposition to renal neoplasms in dogs [15,16] except for heritable predilection for bilateral, multifocal cystoadenocarcinomas in German Shepherds, generally between 5-11 years of age [14,17,18].…”

“…Renal neoplasm is reported to be an inherited genetic disease in various species of rats [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. Hereditary renal cystadenocarcinoma is reported in German shepherd dogs [17]. However, from experiences in human medicine and similarities of neoplastic diseases in humans and dogs [3], it would be plausible to consider that exposure to various chemical carcinogens and obesity may play some role in the incidence of cancer in pet dogs.…”

Juvenile Nephropathy in a Boxer Dog Resembling the Human Nephronophthisis-Medullary Cystic Kidney Disease Complex

“…A number of renal pathologies with a cystic component have been described in dogs including: Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) [25,27,[32][33][34]; juvenile nephropathy (JN) [5,26,35]; renal dysplasia [12,28,30,31,36,42]; medullary sponge kidney [2]; glomerulocystic kidney disease (GCKD) [4,38,46]; primary renal neoplasia such as hereditary multifocal renal cystadenocarcinomas and nodular dermatofibrosis (RCND) [3,19,20,29,48]; renal cystadenoma [23], and acquired cysts [37]. PKD is a genetic disorder characterized by bilateral renal cysts of varying size and number distributed uniformly in the cortex and medulla [32].…”

“…The disease is characterized by bilateral, multifocal tumours in the kidneys associated with nodular dermatofibrosis in both sexes [29] and multiple uterine leiomyomas in bitches [19,20]. An autosomal dominant mode of inheritance has been postulated on the basis of pedigree analysis.…”