Invasive pleural malignant mesothelioma with rib destruction and concurrent osteosarcoma in a dog

Our plain-English summary of Invasive pleural malignant mesothelioma with rib destruction and concurrent osteosarcoma in a dog, by M. Di Tommaso, F. Rocconi, G. Marruchella, et al (Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 2015).

The study

• Authors: M. Di Tommaso, F. Rocconi, G. Marruchella, A.R. D'Angelo, S. Masci, D. Santori, C. Civitella, A. Luciani, A. Boari
• Journal: Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
• Published: 2015;57:85
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

A 7-year-old Dachshund was clinically examined because of a 10-day history of lameness in the left hind limb. On the basis of radiological and cytological findings, an osteosarcoma of the left acetabular region was suspected. The dog underwent a hemipelvectomy and osteosarcoma was diagnosed by subsequent histopathological examination. An immovable subcutaneous mass was noted on the left chest wall during the physical examination and non-septic neutrophilic inflammation was diagnosed by cytology. Forty days later, the dog showed signs of respiratory distress with an in-diameter increase of the subcutaneous mass up to 4 cm. Thoracic radiography and ultrasonography revealed pleural effusion and a lytic process in the fourth left rib. Furthermore, ultrasound examination revealed a mixed echogenic mobile structure with a diameter of around 2 cm floating within the pleural fluid of the left hemithorax close to the pericardium. The dog underwent surgery for an en bloc resection of the subcutaneous mass together with the fourth rib and the parietal pleura. Moreover, the left altered lung lobe, corresponding to the mobile structure detected by ultrasound, was removed. Based on cytological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical examinations, an invasive epithelioid pleural malignant mesothelioma was diagnosed.

In plain English

This case report described a 7-year-old male Dachshund seen at a veterinary teaching hospital in Teramo, Italy, for left hind limb lameness. An osteosarcoma (bone cancer) of the left hip was diagnosed and removed by hemipelvectomy. A 1.5 cm lump on the left chest wall was first read on cytology as non-infectious inflammation. Forty days later the dog had breathing difficulty, the lump had grown to 4 cm, and imaging showed chest fluid and destruction of the fourth left rib. Surgeons removed the lump, rib, chest lining and an affected lung lobe. Tissue tests showed invasive epithelioid pleural malignant mesothelioma that had grown through the chest wall, including the rib. The dog died from complications after surgery. The authors wrote that the rib lesions could reflect spread of the osteosarcoma or the primary tumor. The article gave no exposure history for this dog. The authors wrote that asbestos is considered a risk factor for canine mesothelioma, though its contribution remains unknown. They concluded that mesothelioma should be considered in dogs with chest wall masses or lytic rib lesions.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Veterinary case report (one dog)
• Who was studied: One 7-year-old male Dachshund weighing 7.6 kg, admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Teramo, Italy, with a 10-day history of left hind limb lameness
• Exposure: The article reports no asbestos or other exposure history for this dog. In the discussion, the authors state that asbestos is considered a risk factor for canine mesothelioma but that its contribution remains unknown.
• Main results:
  • Tissue removed from the left acetabular (hip) region at hemipelvectomy was diagnosed as osteosarcoma (mitotic index 1.1).
  • Forty days later the dog had respiratory distress, and the chest wall mass had grown from about 1.5 cm to 4 cm in diameter.
  • Chest X-ray showed pleural effusion in the left hemithorax and destruction of the fourth left rib.
  • Cytology of the pleural (chest) fluid suggested mesothelioma.
  • On histopathology the tumor infiltrated all chest wall layers, including the rib bone cortex and periosteum, and showed a multifocal pattern in the lung. Tumor emboli were found in lung blood vessels. The mitotic index was 1.7.
  • Based on cytology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (positive for pancytokeratin and vimentin), invasive epithelioid pleural malignant mesothelioma was diagnosed.
  • The dog died from complications after surgery, and the owner declined a necropsy.
  • The authors stated that the rib lesions could be attributed either to metastasis of the pelvic osteosarcoma or to a primary tumor.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that this was the first report of a diffuse pleural mesothelioma directly invading the chest wall in a dog with a concurrent osteosarcoma. They also concluded that malignant mesothelioma should be considered when investigating chest wall masses, especially with pleural effusion, and lytic rib lesions in dogs.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer, Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Inflammation, Cytology, Pleural Effusion, Ultrasound, Hemithorax, Pericardium, Parietal Pleura.

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