Cytological and histopathological characteristics of canine transmissible venereal tumour in male and female dogs before and after vincristine treatment
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Date
2021
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Publisher
Tanzania Veterinary Association Proceedings
Abstract
Canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a neoplasia naturally transmitted in susceptible
dogs through coitus. CTVT has a worldwide distribution, with a high prevalence in tropical and
sub-tropical urban environments. The study aimed at evaluating CTVT lesions in local breeds of
dogs and to assess morphological changes based on sex before and after administration of
vincristine sulphate. Clinical and gross morphology, fine needle aspirates cytology (FNAC) and
routine histopathology methods were used. Two FNAC and histopathological microscopic slide
sections from each of the seven sampled dogs were stained with Giemsa stain and Hematoxylin
and Eosin. All dogs were treated with vincristine once weekly over a six weeks period after
which clinical morphological and histopathological changes were assessed. Grossly, before
treatment the tumour masses appeared irregular, cauliflower like with tendency to bleed, sizes
ranged from ≥5cm to ≤2cm with or without metastasis to regional lymph nodes. Cytologically,
the tumours had homogenous, sheet-like cellular mass. Cytoplasm with punctate vacuoles,
anisokaryosis with anisonucleoliosis and coarse to reticulate nuclear chromatin were seen.
Lymphocytoid cell pattern was dominant cell type. Histopathology showed sheets of round cells
with nuclear and cytoplasmic variations. Histopathology of the treated dog revealed hyper-
cellularity, absence of nucleoli, prominent mitotic figures, reduced cell size and presence of
inflammatory cells. There was no difference on the cellular changes after vincristine treatment
between female and male dogs. Cytology and histopathology showed that vincristine sulphate
suppresses the development of tumour through alteration of cellular morphology with no
difference between male and female dogs.
Description
Tanzania Veterinary Association Proceedings Vol. 38 (2020)
Keywords
Fine needle aspirates cytology, Histopathology, Canine transmissible venereal tumour