Sarcomatoid mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis in the right scrotum of a dog

Our plain-English summary of Sarcomatoid mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis in the right scrotum of a dog, by N.V. Son, J.K. Chambers, T. Shiga, et al (The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 2018).

The study

• Authors: N.V. Son, J.K. Chambers, T. Shiga, T.E. Kishimoto, S. Kikuhara, K. Saeki, R. Fujiwara, M. Tsuboi, R. Nishimura, K. Uchida, H. Nakayama
• Journal: The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science
• Published: 2018;80(7):1125-1128
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 10 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

A 12-year-old intact male Welsh Corgi was presented with enlargement of the right scrotum. Both testicles were surgically removed and histopathologically examined. On gross examination, white nodules were found in the epididymis and ductus deferens. Histopathologically, the nodules developed continuously from the tunica vaginalis testis of the right scrotum and consisted of spindle-shaped neoplastic cells that invaded the surrounding tissue. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were diffusely positive for vimentin, cytokeratin and Wilms tumor-1 (WT-1). Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as sarcomatoid mesothelioma. The dog presented with respiratory distress 122 days after surgery and clinical examination found multiple metastatic lesions in the lung, abdominal lymph nodes and peritoneum. The dog died 144 days after surgery due to disease progression.

In plain English

This case report described one dog, a 12-year-old intact male Welsh Corgi brought to the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Tokyo with an enlarged right scrotum. The article reported no asbestos or other exposure history for the dog. Both testicles were surgically removed. A white mass about 5.5 cm across was attached to the tunica vaginalis, the membrane covering the testis, and grew into the epididymis. Smaller nodules were found in the epididymis and ductus deferens. Microscopically, the mass was made of spindle-shaped tumor cells continuous with the tunica vaginalis lining, and tumor reached the cut edge of the spermatic cord. The cells stained positive for vimentin and cytokeratin, about 54% of their nuclei were positive for WT-1, and they were negative for CEA and HBME-1. The diagnosis was sarcomatoid mesothelioma. Four months after surgery the dog had breathing difficulty and multiple lung nodules. It died 144 days after surgery, and no necropsy was done. The authors concluded this was the first reported sarcomatoid mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis in a dog, and that WT-1 may be a potential diagnostic marker.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (single animal; clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical description)
• Who was studied: One 12-year-old intact male Welsh Corgi dog seen at the Veterinary Medical Center, University of Tokyo, Japan; dates not given
• Exposure: Not reported; the article does not describe asbestos or any other exposure for this dog
• Main results:
  • On gross examination, a white mass about 5.5 cm in diameter was attached to the tunica vaginalis of the right testicle and infiltrated the head of the epididymis
  • Under the microscope, the mass was continuous with the mesothelium of the tunica vaginalis testis and was made of neoplastic spindle cells; tumor was present at the excision margin of the spermatic cord
  • Tumor cells were positive for vimentin and cytokeratin
  • Approximately 54% of tumor cell nuclei were positive for Wilms tumor-1 (WT-1)
  • Tumor cells were negative for CEA and HBME-1
  • Four months after surgery the dog had respiratory distress, and a chest radiograph showed multiple nodular lesions in the lung
  • The dog died 144 days after surgery; no necropsy was performed
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, to their knowledge, this was the first report of sarcomatoid mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis in a dog, and that WT-1 may be a potential marker for the immunohistochemical diagnosis of canine mesothelioma

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Sarcomatoid, Mesothelioma, Tunica Vaginalis, Epididymis, Wilms Tumor 1 (WT-1), Peritoneum, Disease Progression.

Related studies

• Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: report of 2 cases with asbestos occupational exposure — G. Gorini, M. Pinelli, et al. (2005)
• Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis Testis-A Malignancy Associated With Asbestos Exposure and Trauma: A Case Report and Literature Review — A.A. Baqui, N.A. Boire, et al. (2019)
• Malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis — G. Tyagi, C.S. Munn, et al. (1989)
• Cutaneous manifestations of malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis — H.J. van der Rhee, W.A. van Vloten, et al. (1983)
• Fine needle aspiration cytology in malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis — R. Gupta, P. Dey, et al. (2011)
• Epidemiology of mesothelioma of the pericardium and tunica vaginalis testis — G. Mezei, E.T. Chang, et al. (2017)

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