Fine needle aspiration cytology for diagnosis of canine cutaneous transmissible venereal tumor and its successful therapeutic management

Abstract

Canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a well-documented transplantable tumour in dogs, with no breed or sex predilection and a low metastatic rate. The present short communication reports a case of naturally occurring multicentric TVT in a male dog with a unique cutaneous involvement. A 13-year-old intact male German-Shepherd was presented with multiple nodular lesions disseminated over the face, neck, left forelimb, caudal to left shoulder and abdomen regions. Grossly the lesions were non-fluctuating, nodular, rapidly growing and ulcerated in few growths, measuring up to 2-5 cm in diameter. A rapid and precise diagnosis was made based on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of nodules and an impression smear of ulcerated lesions. Hematology revealed leucocytosis with marked neutrophilia. FNAC of cutaneous nodule revealed neoplastic population of round cells having characteristic cytoplasmic vacuolation typical of TVT. Based on the anamnesis and cytological examinations the case was diagnosed as primary cutaneous TVT in a progressing growth phase. Chemotherapy with vincristine sulphate resulted in complete resolution of clinical signs and recovery. The effects of the treatment and regression of tumour were also assessed post-therapy by cytology.