A divergent pseudoglandular configuration of cutaneous plasmacytoma in dogs

Abstract

Cutaneous and mucocutaneous plasmacytoma (PCT) is a common neoplasm of dogs. Tumors can be single or multiple and occur predominantly in the oral cavity, lip, ears, digits, and trunk. Although these tumors typically offer no diagnostic challenge for the pathologist, subsets of PCTs with atypical morphologic configurations may make differentiation from other neoplasms difficult. We describe 6 cases of canine cutaneous and mucocutaneous PCT with pseudoglandular arrangement of neoplastic cells. The mean age of affected dogs was 11.3 y, and multiple breeds and sites were affected. Histologically, neoplastic cells were arranged in sheets, packets, and pseudoglandular structures containing central accumulations of blood or eosinophilic material admixed with neoplastic cells and hemosiderin-laden macrophages. Given the presence of pseudoglandular structures resembling neoplastic acini, epithelial neoplasia was occasionally included in the differential diagnosis. Neoplastic cells were strongly immunopositive for multiple myeloma oncogene 1 ( MUM-1) and immunonegative for pancytokeratin AE1/AE3. Canine cutaneous and mucocutaneous PCTs with pseudoglandular morphology may resemble epithelial neoplasia and raise questions about tumor histogenesis.