Melanoma oral canino: relato de caso

Abstract

Melanoma is a tumor derived from melanocytes that can affect different locations. It is the most common oral neoplasm in dogs and is found mainly in elderly animals. It is usually a malignant neoplasm, which can cause bone lysis and distant metastases, with a poor prognosis and short survival. The most common clinical signs are salivation, bleeding, dysphagia and halitosis. The definitive diagnosis is obtained through histopathological analysis, which may need to be complemented with immunohistochemistry in tumors with a less characteristic presentation, such as amelanotic melanomas. Tumor staging helps predict prognosis and the most efficient therapeutic approach for each case. The recommended treatment is complete surgical removal, which can be accompanied by radiotherapy, chemotherapy, electrochemotherapy and immunotherapy. The aim of this paper is to report and describe the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the case of an 11-year-old female dog, mixed breed, seen at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Minas Gerais presenting with vomiting, dysphagia and halitosis. After physical examination, a nodule was found in the caudal region of the tongue, which was diagnosed as an oral melanoma on histopathology. The therapy instituted was debulking associated with electrochemotherapy, chemotherapy with carboplatin and immunotherapy with Oncotherad, a new molecule that is in the experimental phase. The data presented refer to the 6-month follow-up period from the diagnosis made in May 2023, and it is important to note that, at the end of the period, the patient remained clinically well and under treatment, exceeding the survival rate reported in the studies.