Granular cell tumor in a lumbar spinal nerve of a dog

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2010 Jul;22(4):638-42. doi: 10.1177/104063871002200425.

Abstract

A 2-year-old Great Dane dog with a 2.5-week history of progressive paraparesis was presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Neurologic examination revealed nonambulatory paraparesis with reduced to absent withdrawal hind-limb reflexes and lumbar pain. Magnetic resonance imaging and gross pathology confirmed a larger regional lumbar mass and a second smaller extradural mass within the spinal canal. The left lumbar mass was associated with extensive hemorrhage; dissection showed a dark-red, soft, well-circumscribed mass measuring 2 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.5 cm within the left fourth lumbar spinal nerve. Histopathological evaluation with immunohistochemistry revealed sheets of round to polygonal cells with diffuse granular cytoplasm demonstrating diastase-resistant periodic acid-Schiff reactivity and positive immunoexpression of S100 and neuron-specific enolase. The smaller extradural mass within the spinal canal exhibited similar morphology. Based on gross, histological, and immunohistochemical evidence, the masses were diagnosed as granular cell tumor.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dog Diseases / diagnosis
  • Dog Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Dog Diseases / pathology
  • Dogs
  • Granular Cell Tumor / diagnosis
  • Granular Cell Tumor / diagnostic imaging
  • Granular Cell Tumor / veterinary*
  • Lumbosacral Region
  • Male
  • Radiography
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / pathology
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / veterinary*
  • Spinal Nerves / pathology*