Morphology, gradation and frequency of mastocytoma in dogs

Abstract

Mastocytoma is a kind of cutaneous tumour consisting of a great number of variously differentiated mastocytes. In dogs, they make 15-20% out of all cutaneous tumours, and are also considered to be potentially malignant skin tumours. They appear mosly in the region of abdomen (50-60%), less frequenly at limbs (25-40%) and very rarely at head and neck skin (10%). This work is a retrospective analysis of all diagnosed mastocytoma during the period from 2004. to 2012. at the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Belgrade. Biopsy material was exposed to histopathological examination. Tissue cuttings of 3-5 ?m thick were dyed by HE method and TB method. Questionnaire on the frequency of mastocytoma was carried out in 40 veterinary policlinics in Belgrade. During the specified period, 65 cases of mastocytoma were diagnosed. They participated in 9.46% of all skin tumours. They were located at head skin, abdomen skin and limbs skin as well, and found in various dogs breeds. Mastocytomas were diagnosed in 25 policlinics in Belgrade. They were of nodose, irregular, verrucose and polypose shapes with numerous secondary alterations. Mastocytoma represented most frequent hematopoietic and ?round cell? diagnosed tumours. Most frequently they were located at limbs. Predisposed breeds are Golden Retriever and half-breed. Nodose form with expansive growth and secondary alterations such as inflammations was prevailing.