Intramedullary Spinal Cord Neoplasia in 53 Dogs (1990 2010): Distribution,

Clinicopathologic Characteristics, and Clinical Behavior

Background: Intramedullary neoplasms of the canine spinal cord are infrequently reported.
Objective: To describe distribution, clinicopathologic characteristics, radiographic findings,
and clinical features of canine intramedullary spinal tumors.
Methods: This study used of histologically confirmed canine intramedullary spinal tumors.
Contingency tables were generated for categorical variables (breed, sex, treatment, pain, chief
complaint, localization, histology, imaging, and site). Associations were assessed by Fishers
exact, Wilcoxon rank sum test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA.
Results: This study showed Intramedullary spinal cord tumors comprised 16% (53/331) of all
tumors of the spinal cord. Primary tumors were diagnosed in 66% (35/53) of cases, with
neuroepithelial-origin tumors comprising 51% (18/35) of all primary neoplasms.
Intraparenchymal metastases of transitional cell carcinoma and hemangiosarcoma accounted
for 66% (6/18 each) of all secondary tumors. Primary tumors were more likely to affect
younger dogs. Dogs with intramedullary metastases were most commonly presented for
primary myelopathic signs (8/18, 44%). The majority of all tumors (52.8%) occurred in the
T3-L3 spinal cord segments. All dogs with cervical neurolocalization had primary tumors.
Dogs with metastatic lesions had a shorter duration of clinical signs before presentation, but
there was no difference in survival time between dogs with primary as compared with
secondary tumors.
Conclusions: It can be concluded that intramedullary spinal cord tumors are uncommon.
Primary intramedullary spinal cord tumors are more common than secondary intramedullary
spinal cord tumors and tend to occur in the cervical spinal cord of younger dogs.
Intramedullary metastases occur in older dogs, are rarely asymptomatic, and neurologic
dysfunction is a common clinical presentation.

Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of 41 Dogs with Sublingual Ectopic Thyroid
Neoplasia

Background: Thyroid neoplasia is common in dogs, but there are few reports of dogs with
ectopic, sublingual thyroid tumors.
Objectives: To describe clinical features and outcomes of dogs with ectopic, sublingual
thyroid neoplasia.
Animals: Five hundred and forty-four dogs with thyroid neoplasia.
Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of dogs referred for thyroid
neoplasia between 1995 and 2013. Data extracted included signalment, extent of thyroid
disease (eutopic or ectopic; metastasis), serum thyroxine (T4) concentration, treatment, and
survival.
Results: Of 544 dogs with thyroid neoplasia, 41 (7.5%) dogs had ectopic sublingual thyroid
tumors. The clinical features of these 41 dogs were similar to the cohort group of 503 dogs
with eutopic or ectopic mediastinal thyroid tumors, but dogs with sublingual tumors were
younger and less likely to have metastatic disease (15% versus 30%, P < .05). Of the 41 dogs,
28 received treatment: 21 with surgery (which included partial hyoidectomy in 13), 7 with
radioiodine alone, and 13 with surgery followed by administration of radioiodine. Overall
median survival was 562 days (range, 1-1,850 days).
Conclusions : When compared with eutopic thyroid carcinomas, ectopic sublingual thyroid
tumors generally have a less aggressive biologic behavior. Many dogs have prolonged
survival, even without treatment, although death because of local tumor invasiveness or
metastasis can develop in some dogs. Surgical thyroidectomy, including partial hyoidectomy,
is generally effective for control of local disease. Administration of radioiodine, alone or in
combination with surgical treatment, is recommended for multifocal disease or metastasis.