Ginger's biopsy is in and it's GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!  I'm so excited!!  For
people who don't know, Ginger is my 2 1/2 year old spayed and descented
female that had a rapidly growing tumor on her vaginal wall.  Due to
size and rapid growth we thought it might be squamous cell carcinoma or
leiomyosarcoma, both cancers.  The entire tumor was removed and fortunately
her urethra was left unimpaired.  She's eating, drinking and going to the
bathroom normally.  Below is the lab report just for anyone who might be
interested.  A lot of it might be meaningless to the lay person, but I
thought it might be good to have in the archives.  I hope someone can
benefit from this info in the future.  Forgive me if it's boring.  I love
this stuff!
 
History: Rapid growing mass next to and involving the skin of the vaginal
canal.
 
Description: Sections have a multifocally eroded or ulcerated surface
epithelium with the intact epithelium being benign stratified squamous.
Moderate numbers of neutrophils are collected at ulcerated surfaces
sometimes superficially intermixed with some tightly packed medium sized
rod-shaped bacteria.  The dermis/submucosal contains a mass-type lesion
containing plump cuboidal to low columnar epithelial-type cells forming
haphazardly arranged tubuloacinar structures.  Many of the tubuloacini
contain fairly dark eosinophilic proteinaceous material.  Cells usually
line tubuloacinar structures in a simple fashion with occasional mild
piling.  Some cells appear to have apical blebbing.  Cytoplasm is fairly
abundant and eosinophilic.  Nuclei appear fairly uniform and are round
to oval.  Some cells have nucleoli that are occasionally multiple.  The
mitotic rate appears fairly low and from approximately 0-3 mitotic figures
per high power field.  There is a medium amount of supportive loose fibrous
stroma.  In the stroma and in the tubuloacini are mixed inflammatory cells
that include lymphocytes, plasma cells, neutrophils and macrophages.
Multifocally, there is mild hemorrhage.  No good natural borders are
present to assess for invasiveness.
 
Diagnosis: WELL-DIFFERENTIATED APPEARING APOCRINE NEOPLASM
 
Prognosis: Uncertain.  (Although cancer hasn't been ruled out, my vet says
he thinks that from the way the tumor came out and the fact that he got
it all indicates it's probably not cancerous and that reoccurrence is
unlikely!)
 
Comments: This neoplasm appears consistent with an apocrine neoplasm and
appears fairly well differentiated.  No good natural borders are present to
assess for invasiveness and important criteria for distinguishing between
malignant and benign neoplasms.  Differentials for this neoplasm would be
an apocrine adenoma with moderate atypia or very well-differentiated
adenocarcinoma.  Apocrine neoplasms at this location might develop from
circumanal glands or circumanal sac glands, or from skin surface apocrine
glands (Kim: sweat glands?).  Recommend complete excision if not already
and if possible, and if done, monitoring the site closely and regional
nodes for any evidence of recurrence.
 
Borders: All deep and lateral borders consist of affected tissue.
 
The end...
 
Kim S.
Author, Ferrets for Dummies
Animals for Awareness
[Posted in FML issue 3296]