![]() In addition to that, other clinical signs include polyuria/polydipsia (due to hypercalcemia), and an important syndrome may arise, the so-called vena cava syndrome, characterized by a restriction of the venous return caused by the mediastinal mass.Įxtranodal lymphoma Targets a specific organ, such as the skin, eyes, kidneys, lungs, or central nervous system, the most common one affecting the skin (cutaneous lymphoma). It is more common in younger dogs that might suffer from respiratory complications caused by pleural fluid accumulation and pleural effusion due to obstruction of lymphatic return. Because the thymus serves as the central lymphoid organ for maturing T lymphocytes, many mediastinal lymphomas are exclusively of Tcell origin. Mediastinal lymphoma is characterized by the enlargement of the cranial mediastinal lymph nodes and/or thymus. Dogs with alimentary lymphoma may manifest with significant gastrointestinal signs, including anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, and profound weight loss secondary to severe malabsorption and maldigestion of nutrients due to loss of appetite. Whereas others exhibit more marked clinical signs, including lethargy, anorexia, polyuria and polydipsia and in many cases, the only noticeable sign of disease is enlargement of the lymph nodes under the neck, in front of the shoulders, and/or behind the knees.Īlimentary lymphoma may develop at any area of digestive tract, including the stomach, small intestine, large intestine and/or rectum. Affected subjects present a non-painful, generalized, peripheral lymphadenopathy, and malignant lymphocytes may infiltrate into other organs including the spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other extranodal sites. Multicentric lymphoma is the most common form encountered in dogs. Extranodal (Affects organs outside the lymphatic system).Mediastinal (Affects the organs within the chest, such as lymph nodes or the thymus gland).Alimentary (Affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract).Multicentric (Affects the peripheral lymph nodes).Lymphoma can affect many different areas of the body, and in dogs, four recognized anatomic forms of lymphoma exist and include: Since it starts in the lymph nodes, it’s not considered a singular cancer rather, divergent categories of lymphoma behave differently and require specific therapies. There is no apparent sex predisposition, but intact female dogs appear to have a reduced risk and early (<1 year) neutralization has been suggested to increase the risk of developing canine lymphoma in the golden retriever but not in the Labrador retriever. Certain breeds are predisposed to this malignancy including Boxers, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers, yet the cause of its occurrence is still unknown. It afflicts middle-aged to older dogs, but dogs of any age are at risk. This hematopoetic malignancy affects the immune system, specifically lymphocytes and lymphoid tissues (present in many places in the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow). The malignant transformation of any lymphocyte population, termed lymphoma, is the most common blood cancer observed in dogs. Therefore, the focus of this review article is to highlight some of the more conventional therapeutic modalities useful for treating high-grade lymphoma in dogs. 2016, 3, 7 doi:10.3390/vetsci3010007īecause lymphoma commonly develops in companion animals, veterinary practitioners should be knowledgeable about the treatment options available. Consequently, malignant diseases, mainly canine lymphoma, are becoming the main causes of deaths in dogs worldwide.īut what exactly is canine lymphoma? And how is it treated? Since dogs live in close proximity to humans, they are influenced by similar environmental factors that may lead to chronic diseases and cancers. Concomitantly, advances in veterinary care have emerged resulting in an increased life expectancy of dogs. Over the past years, the animal-owner relationship has been changing and pets have genuinely become part of the human family.
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