Large Cell Anaplastic Lymphoma with Hemophagocytosis in Two Dogs

• Published in: Journal of Animal Clinical Medicine Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 41 - 46
• Main Authors: SHIMODA, Tetsuya, YASUKAWA, Kuniyoshi, OHIGASHI, Yusuke, MASATSUGU, Hideaki, MORISHITA, Keitarou, NAKAMICHI, Jun, FUKUI, Kenta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Clinical Veterinary Medicine 20.07.2009
• Subjects: dog; large cell anaplastic lymphoma; updated Kiel classification
• ISSN: 1344-6991; 1881-1574
• DOI: 10.11252/dobutsurinshoigaku.18.41

We report two canine cases of a rare disease, large cell anaplasitic lymphoma, which were cytomorphologically classified according to an updated Kiel Classification. Two dogs with severe splenomegaly showed regenerative anemia and thrombocytopenia. Since tumors were found in the spleen on ultrasonograms, splenectomy was performed on both dogs. Cytologic examination revealed that the tumor cells in these cases were quite different from those of common lymphomas, namely, they were larger in size, having wide and highly basophilic cytoplasm with vacuoles, and often showed hemophagositosis. Although histiocytic sarcomas was suspected based on histological and cytological evaluations in both cases, this was found to be false because the tumor cells in case 1 were identified as T cell clones, and in case 2, as B cell clones by clone analysis using polymerase chain reaction.