Surgical management of haemangiopericytoma involving the biceps femoris muscle in four dogs

Surgical Excision of Intramuscular Sarcomas: Description of Three Cases in Dogs

Compartmental excision consists of the complete resection of an anatomic district in which specific structures act as a barrier to local tumour invasion. It is a well-established procedure in human medicine, while only a few reports are available in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to describe complete muscle resection in 3 dogs affected by different intramuscular sarcomas. The clinical outcome was also reported. Medical records were searched, including preoperative diagnostic findings, compartmental excision, histologic diagnosis, and outcome. Three dogs fit the inclusion criteria, which had a sarcoma confined to a single muscular belly (semitendinosus, biceps, and splenius capitis muscles). Complete excision of the affected muscle was performed in all cases. One dog showed moderate lameness in the immediate postoperative period, resulting from the dorsal lifting of the scapula due to serratus ventralis tenotomy performed to remove the caudal insertion of the splenius capitis muscle. All the dogs recovered fully within one month, experiencing good clinical function. Histopathology showed complete tumour removal with no neoplastic fascial disruption in all cases. Compartmental excision provides effective local tumour control, representing an alternative to limb amputation or more radical excision if adjuvant radiotherapy is not an option for owners.

Outcome with Surgical Treatment of Canine Soft Tissue Sarcoma in the Region of the Ischiatic Tuberosity: A Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the outcome of dogs with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) within the region of the ischiatic tuberosity (ITSTS) treated surgically.

STUDY DESIGN

Multi-institutional retrospective study ANIMALS: Fifty-two client-owned dogs with histologically confirmed STS in the region of the IT treated with surgical resection between March 1st, 2009, and March 1st, 2021, and a minimum follow-up time of six months.

METHODS

Data collected included signalment, preoperative diagnostics, surgical intent/method, complications, histopathology, margins, outcome, and cause of death. Statistical analyses were performed to determine significant factors in treatment and prognosis of ITSTS.

RESULTS

Fifty-two dogs with histopathologically-confirmed ITSTS included resulting in 24 grade I, 20 grade II, and seven grade III tumors. Overall survival time and disease progression were negatively associated with tumor grade while recurrence was positively associated with grade and incomplete margins. Overall survival time and progression-free survival time was not reached for tumors graded as I or II and was 255 and 268 days respectively for grade III. Median time to recurrence was not reached for tumors excised with complete margins and 398 days for incomplete margins. There was a 25% reported surgical complication rate.

CONCLUSION

Ischiatic tuberosity soft tissue sarcoma was not found to be a unique clinical entity in dogs. Treatment recommendations and prognosis were similar to STS in other locations. The outcome was influenced by histologic grade and margins.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Ischiatic tuberosity soft tissue sarcoma of dogs does not behave more aggressively than those in other locations. Surgical complications were common but not life-threatening. Overall prognosis, including survival and disease recurrence, appears to depend on histological grade and surgical margins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Influence of surgical margin completeness on risk of local tumour recurrence in canine cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue sarcoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The present peer-reviewed veterinary literature contains conflicting information regarding the impact of surgical margin completeness on risk of local tumour recurrence in canine soft tissue sarcoma (STS). This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to answer the clinical question: "Does obtaining microscopically tumour-free surgical margins reduce risk for local tumour recurrence in canine cutaneous and subcutaneous STS?" A total of 486 citations were screened, 66 of which underwent full-text evaluation, with 10 studies representing 278 STS excisions ultimately included. Cumulatively, 16/164 (9.8%) of completely excised and 38/114 (33.3%) of incompletely excised STS recurred. Overall relative risk of 0.396 (95% confidence interval = 0.248-0.632) was calculated for local recurrence in STS excised with complete margins as compared to STS excised with incomplete margins. Risk of bias was judged to be low for all studies in terms of selection bias and detection bias but high for all studies in terms of performance bias and exclusion bias. The results of the present meta-analysis, coupled with the results of individual previous studies, strongly suggest that microscopically complete surgical margins confer a significantly reduced risk for local tumour recurrence in canine STS. Future studies ideally should adhere to standardized conducting and reporting guidelines to reduce systematic bias.

Perivascular Wall Tumor in the Brain of a Dog

A 9-year-old spayed female German shepherd mixed-breed dog presented for seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an irregularly marginated intraparenchymal cerebral mass. Microscopic examination of brain tissue collected postmortem demonstrated perivascular whorling and interwoven bundles of spindle-shaped cells. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells tested positive for vimentin and negative for factor VIII-related antigen, CD18, CD45, CD3, CD20, GFAP, S-100, and desmin. Immunohistochemistry results, in combination with histopathologic morphology, were suggestive of a perivascular wall tumor. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report to utilize both histopathology and immunohistochemistry to describe a perivascular wall tumor in the brain of a dog.

Laparoscopic-assisted ovariectomy of tigers (Panthera tigris) with the use of the LigaSure device

Laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed in seven tigers with the use of a vessel-sealing device and a three-port technique. A comparison group of seven tigers that underwent traditional ovariohysterectomy was assembled with the use of a medical records search. Mean operative times for laparoscopic ovariectomy were compared to standard ovariohysterectomy, and mean combined laparoscopic incision length compared to standard ovariohysterectomy incision lengths. Significance was set at P < or = 0.05. Mean surgical time for laparoscopic ovariectomy (82 min, range 71-126 min) was significantly shorter than standard ovariohysterectomy surgical time (129 min, range 80-165 min, P = 0.007). Mean combined laparoscopic incision length (8.07 cm, range 3.80-9.50 cm) was significantly shorter than the mean incision length for standard ovariohysterectomy (13.57 cm, range 12.00-20.00 cm, P = 0.009). There were no clinically important complications observed in either group. Laparoscopic ovariectomy has a significantly shorter surgical time and combined incision length compared to standard ovariohysterectomy in tigers, and appears to be a safe and rapid sterilization method for tigers. Equipment cost and the necessity for advanced training may limit its use in some institutions. Further prospective evaluation is warranted to determine whether it is associated with decreased morbidity, mortality, or cost.