Aspectos citológicos do linfoma cutâneo epiteliotrópico e não-epiteliotrópico canino: relato de três casos

Abstract

Cutaneous lymphoma is a hematopoietic neoplasm characterized by the presence of neoplastic lymphoid cells in the superficial or deep layers of the skin and can be classified on histopathological examination as epitheliotropic or non-epitheliotropic. Epitheliotropic cutaneous lymphoma is characterized by the presence of neoplastic lymphoid cells in the epidermis, whereas non-epitheliotropic lymphoma is characterized by the presence of neoplastic cells in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Clinical manifestations may be associated with the formation of crusts, nodules, plaques, areas of scaling, itching, among others, signs that can occur in a variety of diseases. The cytological examination of cutaneous lymphoma is important to exclude differential diagnoses and direct the clinician to the most appropriate management. This study aimed to demonstrate the importance of cytological examination by reporting three cases of cutaneous lymphoma in dogs treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Of the three cases, two had a histopathological diagnosis of epitheliotropic lymphoma and one case had a histopathological diagnosis of non-epitheliotropic lymphoma. Two (2/3) of the three cases were female mixed breed dogs, while one (1/3) of the three cases was a male Basset Hound. Animals had a median age of 12 years (3 years, 12 years and 16 years). Dogs diagnosed with epitheliotropic lymphoma had a survival of 4 and 6 months, while the case of non-epitheliotropic lymphoma did not return after the second chemotherapy, presenting an estimated survival of two weeks. The present study considers that the cytological examination was fundamental for establishing the diagnosis of cutaneous lymphoma in the three cases and reinforces the importance of using cytology as a diagnostic tool for clinicians in veterinary medicine.