Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor as a cause of chronic cardiac insufficiency in cattle

Saulo Petinatti Pavarini,Danilo Carloto Gomes,Luciana Sonne,Flademir Wouters,Marcele Bettim Bandinelli,David Driemeier,Cláudio Estêvão Farias Da Cruz

doi:10.1186/1751-0147-55-7

Saulo Petinatti Pavarini, Danilo Carloto Gomes + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-55-7

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Abstract

Chronic cardiac insufficiency was associated with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in a cow. An eight-year-old cow developed a progressive condition (over a period of three months) characterized by an enhanced abdominal volume, reluctance to move, a positive jugular pulse, watery diarrhea and death. At necropsy, moderate subcutaneous edema and an enhanced hepatic lobular pattern were observed. A 23x20x11 cm firm, grayish-white mass adhered to and infiltrated the right atrium. Multiple firm, yellowish-white nodules of 0.5 to 12 cm in diameter were diffusely scattered in the epicardium and parietal pericardium. Histologically, the tumor was poorly circumscribed with foci of infiltration of the myocardium. The neoplastic cells had two major histologic patterns, Antoni types A and B. Within occasional foci, pleomorphic cells with an epithelioid appearance were present in addition to multinucleated cells with periodic acid Schiff (PAS)-positive cytoplasmic globules. Foci of cartilaginous and granular differentiations were interspersed among the neoplastic cells. Multiple vessels presented wall hyalinization and tumoral embolus. Large necrotic foci with mineralization and cholesterol clefts were also observed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was positive for S100 protein, vimentin and neuron-specific enolase labeling.

Highlights

Tumors of the peripheral nervous system are common in humans but comparatively rare in domestic animals, having been mostly reported in cattle, dogs, cats and horses [1,2,3,4]
The diagnosis of chronic cardiac insufficiency caused by a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the heart of a cow was based on findings such as type A and B Antoni patterns and immunolabeling, all of which are consistent with a Peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST), a schwannoma [12,14,15,16]
It has been suggested that malignant PNST in cattle have invasive areas in the adjacent tissue, extensive necrotic areas and cellular pleomorphism [12,18,19]

Summary

Background

Tumors of the peripheral nervous system are common in humans but comparatively rare in domestic animals, having been mostly reported in cattle, dogs, cats and horses [1,2,3,4]. High-density fusiform or slightly oval-shaped cells were oriented in short bundles at various locations and occasionally intertwined in spiral or palisade patterns, forming irregular nests delimitated by the fibrovascular stroma (type A Antoni) (Figure 2A) These cells had indistinct, mildly eosinophilic cytoplasms. 1:800 3 min/125°C, 0,01M citrate buffer Ph 6.0 cytoplasms, giving the cells an epithelioid appearance (Figure 2C) These cells were pleomorphic and contained large nuclei with varied forms, coarse chromatin, and evident, sometimes multiple, nucleoli. Moderate and predominantly cytoplasmic anti-vimentin immunolabeling in addition to multifocal, moderate and cytoplasmic anti-NSE immunostaining (Figure 4) and differentiated epithelioid cells positively stained for cytokeratin (Figure 5) were observed; there was no reactivity of the tumoral cells with additional antibodies tested (specific for GFAP, desmin, von Willebrand factor and neurofilament)

Discussion and conclusions

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