Lymphangiosarcoma: A Lethal Complication of Chronic Lymphedema

Lymphangiosarcoma in a 3.5-year-old Bullmastiff bitch with vaginal prolapse, primary lymph node fibrosis and other congenital defects : clinical communication

“…Lymphangiosarcoma is an extremely rare, generally aggressive malignant tumour which has been reported in humans 3,5,19,26 , only 16 dogs 1,4,8,9,[14][15][16][17][18]20,22,24,27,29 , a similar number of cats 19,11,12,25,28 , 2 horses 13,23 , and a cow 21 . Lymphangiosarcoma in dogs, with comparison with that in humans, is reviewed in a companion article 30 .…”

“…Lymphangiosarcoma in dogs, with comparison with that in humans, is reviewed in a companion article 30 . The tumour arises from lymphatic lining endothelium, often in the skin or subcutis, and was originally reported in humans by Stewart and Treves in 1948 in patients having had chronic lymphoedema of extremities after radical mastectomy for breast carcinoma, which had included lymph node resection and/or radiation, thereafter becoming known as 'Stewart-Treves' syndrome 3,5,19,26 . Lymphangiosarcoma in humans has also occasionally arisen following lymphoedema of other origins such as primary lymphoedema due to defects in development of the lymphatic system, or secondary to the likes of inflammatory disease, surgical procedures, trauma, idiopathic, congenital pathology or filarial infestations 5 .…”

“…The tumour arises from lymphatic lining endothelium, often in the skin or subcutis, and was originally reported in humans by Stewart and Treves in 1948 in patients having had chronic lymphoedema of extremities after radical mastectomy for breast carcinoma, which had included lymph node resection and/or radiation, thereafter becoming known as 'Stewart-Treves' syndrome 3,5,19,26 . Lymphangiosarcoma in humans has also occasionally arisen following lymphoedema of other origins such as primary lymphoedema due to defects in development of the lymphatic system, or secondary to the likes of inflammatory disease, surgical procedures, trauma, idiopathic, congenital pathology or filarial infestations 5 . In most cases lymphangiosarcoma rapidly invades and infiltrates adjacent tissues and metastasises via haematogenous and lymphatic routes internally, often involving the chest, but other organs and cavities may also be involved 5,12,13,23,30 .…”

“…Lymphangiosarcoma in humans has also occasionally arisen following lymphoedema of other origins such as primary lymphoedema due to defects in development of the lymphatic system, or secondary to the likes of inflammatory disease, surgical procedures, trauma, idiopathic, congenital pathology or filarial infestations 5 . In most cases lymphangiosarcoma rapidly invades and infiltrates adjacent tissues and metastasises via haematogenous and lymphatic routes internally, often involving the chest, but other organs and cavities may also be involved 5,12,13,23,30 . The majority of reported feline cases, however, presented as tumours of the caudoventral abdominal wall [10][11][12]25,28 .…”

“…Lymphangiosarcoma appears in most species to arise most commonly in anatomical regions having been lymphoedematous, whether of primary or secondary origin, and especially in humans, this is often of long duration 5 . This suggests that lingering protein-rich interstitial fluid and/or chronic physical pressure on lymphatic endothelium may be stimuli for neoplastic transformation 8 .…”