Spinal Nephroblastoma Research Articles

"Golf-tee sign" on 3D-CISS MRI sequences in a dog with spinal nephroblastoma.

"Golf-tee sign" on 3D-CISS MRI sequences in a dog with spinal nephroblastoma.

Spinal nephroblastoma in a dog: a case report

The case report presents the clinical, clinicopathological, diagnostic imaging and histopathological findings of spinal cord nephroblastoma in a dog. It was admitted with a 2-week history of a “weight-bearing” lameness of the left posterior limb that evolved to paraplegia within hours. Neurological examination showed spastic paraplegia compatible with a T3-L3 spinal cord lesion. Differential diagnosis included ischemic myelopathy, myelitis and acute spinal cord compression. The spinal radiographs and cerebrospinal fluid analysis were unremarkable. Cisternal myelography indicated a focal intradural-extramedullary lesion at the level of T12 vertebra. Further diagnostic investigation was not performed because the owner decided to proceed to euthanasia. Histopathological examination of the spinal cord confirmed the diagnosis of intraspinal nephroblastoma.

Solitary spinal nephroblastoma progressing to multifocal disease in a dog

A two- year-old neutered Labrador dog was evaluated for acute onset hindlimb paresis and proprioceptive deficits. Spinal MRI revealed a lesion at the level of T9–T10, from which a presumptive...

Canine Spinal Nephroblastoma: Long‐Term Outcomes Associated with Treatment of 10 Cases (1996–2009)

To report clinical outcome associated with treatment of canine spinal cord nephroblastoma (CSN). Case series. Dogs (n=10) with histopathologically confirmed CSN. Records of dogs with CSN were reviewed and clinicopathologic, diagnostic imaging, treatment, outcome, and survival data were collected. CSN resulted in clinical signs of chronic, progressive T3-L3 myelopathy in young, large breed dogs, with an overrepresentation of German Shepherd Dogs (n=4). All CSN were located between T9 and L2. Dogs treated with cytoreductive surgery (n=6) or radiotherapy (1) survived longer (median, 374 days; range, 226-560 days) than dogs treated palliatively (3; median, 55 days; range, 38-176 days). Tumors confined to an intradural-extramedullary (ID-EM) location were associated with superior survival (n=6; median, 380 days; range, 176-560 days) than tumors with intramedullary (IM) involvement (n=4; median, 140 days; range, 38-269 days). Treatment resulted in temporary improvement in neurologic function in 9 dogs, including all dogs treated surgically, but local disease progression resulted in death of 8 dogs. Results of this observational study suggest that surgical cytoreduction and radiotherapy are effective at improving survival in dogs with CSN, and that ID-EM tumors may be associated with a more favorable prognosis than IM neoplasms.

Proliferative Potential of a Spinal Nephroblastoma in a Young Dog

The proliferative potential of a spinal nephroblastoma was studied in a young dog. A 4-month-old, female golden retriever showed developing deterioration in her gait and subsequent paralysis of her hind legs. At necropsy, a well-demarcated grayish brown tumor mass was found in the lumbar spinal cord segments between L2 and L3. Histologically, a blastemal cell tumor with a tubule- or glomeruli-like structure was found to be infiltrating intradurally. Proliferating cells at the S-phase, assessed using the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling method, were seen occasionally in the tubular cells and glomeruli-like structures and were frequently seen in the blastemal cells. Immunohistochemically, the tubular epithelial cells were positive for cytokeratin, and the blastemal cells were positive for vimentin. The present tumor showed a high potential for growth and invasion, which suggests that it the potential to expand into the adjacent spinal cord.

A true “triphasic” pattern: thoracolumbar spinal tumor in a young dog

An 8-month-old male Bernese Mountain Dog was referred with a history of hindlimb weakness that progressed to paresis on the right side. An intradural mass was detected in the spinal canal at the level of the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae. During surgical removal, 2 small fragments of the mass were prepared for cytologic examination by the squash technique. Cytologic examination revealed 3 different cell types: mesenchymal (stromal) cells, epithelial cells, and small undifferentiated hyperchromatic cells. On the basis of location and the triphasic cytologic pattern, a diagnosis of spinal nephroblastoma (thoracolumbar spinal tumor of young dogs) was made; histologic examination of the mass confirmed the cytologic diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a triphasic pattern in a cytologic sample; recognizing this pattern is an important aid in reaching a definitive cytologic diagnosis.

Spinal Nephroblastoma in a Miniature Dachshund

A 2-year-old castrated miniature Dachshund dog was presented to the Rakuno Gakuen Veterinary Teaching Hospital for diagnosis of progressive hindlimb paresis and ataxia. There was no thoracolumbar intervertebral disk hernia and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intramedullary spinal cord lesion at the ninth and tenth thoracic vertebrae. Following surgical excision of the neoplasm, there was minor amelioration of neurological signs, but forelimb function was not recovered. The extracted tumor was histopathlogically diagnosed as spinal nephroblastoma.

INTRAOPERATIVE SPINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN TWO DOGS WITH SPINAL DISEASE

Ultrasonography was performed during spinal surgery on two dogs that were suspected of having intramedullary lesions by myelography and magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasonographically, the pathologic conditions of the spinal canal or cord were adequately imaged during surgery in both dogs. On the basis of ultrasonographic findings, a biopsy was obtained in Patient 1 and removal of the lesion was accomplished in Patient 2. Histopathologic diagnosis was myelomalacia in Patient 1 and spinal nephroblastoma in Patient 2. Intraoperative ultrasonography was demonstrated to be suitable for detecting intradural conditions, and, thus, is valuable for increasing the accuracy of biopsies or completeness of resections of intramedullary lesions.

Extradural Spinal, Bone Marrow, and Renal Nephroblastoma

A 1-year-old, female intact Shetland sheepdog presented with acute onset of neurological signs. Physical examination revealed a large abdominal mass. Neurological examination revealed multifocal disease with neck pain, short-strided forelimbs, and hind-limb paresis with loss of tail and anal tone. Blood work, imaging techniques, cytopathology, and histopathology led to a diagnosis of renal, bone-marrow, and extradural spinal nephroblastoma. This report documents potential clinical and pathological manifestations of canine nephroblastoma that have not been previously reported.

Possible Intraspinal Metastasis of a Canine Spinal Cord Nephroblastoma

A 2-year-old Basset Hound was admitted to the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital with progressive spastic paraparesis. At necropsy, intradural extramedullary tumors produced areas of spinal cord swelling and softening in spinal cord segments T11-T12 and L4-L6. Histologic examination of the masses revealed sheets of polygonal blastemal cells, epithelial cells forming tubules and rosettes, and embryonal glomeruloid-like structures in the thoracic mass. Cells in the lumbar mass were less differentiated, forming rare tubules and no glomeruloid-like structures. The occurrence of two tumors in the spinal cord along with the less differentiated appearance of the lumbar tumor raises the possibility that the lumbar mass arose as a result of intraspinal metastasis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of multifocal or metastatic canine spinal nephroblastoma. In addition, the vimentin and cytokeratin immunohistochemical staining characteristics of these spinal cord nephroblastomas are described.