[3-part post combined]

Expert quotes carried to the FHL and relates to a question asked on the
FHL:

Re: Leiomyosarcoma

Different malignancies do behave differently, and the categories of
tumors even behave differently in different animals so it is impossible
to generalize from one type to another and at times impossible to
generalize from one species to another. Even location can matter, for
example dermal mast cell tumors in ferrets are very different from ones
deep inside the abdomen.

BEGIN QUOTED ABSTRACTS AND LINKS TO FULL TEXT WHEN AVAILABLE

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2002 May;14(3):262-5. Links
Solitary dermal leiomyosarcomas in 12 ferrets.

Mikaelian I, Garner MM.
IDEXX Veterinary Services, West Sacramento, CA 95625, USA.
Twelve 3-6-year-old ferrets (8 males, 3 females, 1 unknown) were
presented with single cutaneous nodules. These dermal tumors were
characterized histologically by nodular proliferation of neoplastic
smooth muscle fibers with marked anisokaryosis and a mitotic rate of >2
mitoses per 10 high-power fields. Neoplastic cells stained strongly for
vimentin in all tumors and for smooth muscle actin and desmin in all
but 1 tumor. Histologic and immunohistochemical findings suggested a
diagnosis of piloleiomyosarcoma for these tumors. Excision was curative
in all animals available for follow-up. However, 3 of 5 animals
developed adrenal disease within 7 months after removal of the dermal
leiomyosarcoma.

Full text:
http://www.jvdi.org/cgi/reprint/14/3/262

Vet Pathol. 2001 Nov;38(6):710-1. Links
Piloleiomyosarcoma in seven ferrets.

Rickman BH, Craig LE, Goldschmidt MH.
In each of seven ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) with leiomyosarcoma,
a single dermal mass was identified and biopsied. Each mass consisted
of a well- demarcated but nonencapsulated proliferation of large
spindle- to strap-shaped cells arranged in interwoven bundles. The
cells resembled the smooth muscle cells of the adjacent arrector pili
muscles, but with marked nuclear pleomorphism. Immunohistochemical
staining for smooth muscle actin, desmin, and vimentin was positive and
staining for myoglobin and cytokeratin was negative. Follow-up on three
of the ferrets indicates that the prognosis is good following complete
surgical excision.

full text:
http://www.vetpathology.org/cgi/content/full/38/6/710

Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci. 2001 Jan;40(1):43-4.Links
Unusual immunophenotype of a soft tissue sarcoma in a European polecat
(Mustela putorius).

Zaias J, Kornegay RW, Altman NH, Herron AJ.
University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pathology,
Division of Comparative Pathology, 1550 NW 10th Avenue, Room 105,
Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.
The most commonly reported tumors in ferrets are carcinomas, followed
by round cell tumors. Soft tissue sarcomas are reported and
characterized much less frequently. Because domesticated ferrets
(Mustela putorius furo) are direct descendants of European polecats
(Mustela putorius), the types and prevalence of tumors are expected
to be similar in the two species. Presented here is a case report of
unusual immunohistochemical staining characteristics of an abdominal
wall leiomyosarcoma in a close relative of domestic ferrets, the
European polecat. Sections of tissue were preserved in 10% buffered
formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 5 mm. Routine staining
with hematoxylin and eosin and several immunohistochemical tests were
performed to identify the tumor tissue of origin. Although the tumor
did not stain with antibody to desmin, further staining for smooth
muscle actin was consistent with a smooth muscle origin. To the
authors' knowledge, this report is the first description of a
leiomyosarcoma in the European polecat. This report emphasizes
the importance of using additional secondary markers to accurately
diagnose anaplastic tumors.

Lab Anim Sci. 1990 Mar;40(2):208-10.Links
Leiomyosarcoma in a domestic ferret: morphologic and immunocytochemical
diagnosis.

Brunnert SR, Herron AJ, Altman NH.
Department of Pathology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL.
[No abstract]

J Comp Pathol. 1989 Feb;100(2):161-76. Links
Neoplasia in ferrets: eleven cases with a review.

Dillberger JE, Altman NH.
Department of Toxicology, Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-0470.
Records from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in south Florida,
U.S.A. were reviewed for cases of neoplasia in pet ferrets. Twelve
ferret tumours were received over a four-year period; one case, a
ferret with lymphocytic leukaemia and multi-organ involvement, had been
reported previously. The other eleven tumours were: two chordomas of
the tail, two sebaceous adenomas of the skin, a sebaceous epithelioma
of the skin, a cutaneous mastocytoma, a malignant fibrous histiocytoma
from the eyelid, a malignant mesenchymoma and an undifferentiated
sarcoma from the dorsal abdominal cavity, a leiomyosarcoma found
unattached in the abdominal cavity and an interstitial cell tumour of
the testicle. A review of the literature yielded reports of 83 other
tumours in domestic ferrets, black-footed ferrets and European
polecats. Of the 95 ferret tumours, 46 were considered malignant.
Tumours occurred in all organ systems except the respiratory tract and
central nervous system. Affected ferrets ranged in age from 209 days to
12 years. The most frequently occurring tumours were ovarian stromal
tumours (24 of 95), haemangiomas/haemangio-sarcomas (15 of 95). This
information indicates that, contrary to previous opinion, ferrets
appear to be subject to a similar incidence and variety of tumours as
other animals.

END ABSTRACTS

THE FHL ARCHIVES (not just what is on Yahoogroups but the link from the
home page of the FHL) IS A TREASURE CHEST! From that:

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG7492

BEGIN QUOTE of ferret veterinary pathology expert, Dr. Bruce Williams

Dear Julie - you are correct in that leiomyosarcomas are malignancies
of smooth muscle. These are occasionally seen in the endocrine,
gastrointestinal, and reproductive organs, and the adrenal gland is
probably the most common site overall.

These tumors are not responsible for the adrenal igns which you
noticed, but they may occur coincidentally with a functional
adrenocortical tumor. And, due to their often fiarly large size,
they may often be the only tumor seen when the adrenal is sectioned,
althouh there may be another tumor in their causing the signs. Or,
as occasionally happens, the vet's attention is drawn to these large,
non-functional tumors, and they may miss the functional adrenal tumor
on the other adrenal.

The good news is that these neoplasms, although they are technically
malignant, really do not metastasize or result in life-threatening
illness. Surgical excision should be considered curative.

With kindest regards,

Bruce Williams, DVM

END QUOTE


Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html


Personal Note: Tomorrow I will go in for glaucoma surgery on my better
eye so if it is like last time the other moderators will have their
hands full and people may need to look things up for themselves and
others.

Here are some resources to use for your start and there are more with
links to those in my links page and in the links section of the FHL

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/

http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html

http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/links

http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

I'll probably be off line for a few days and then only only for little
bits that gradually increase over a space of 2 weeks.

[Posted in FML 5963]