Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dermal malignant melanoma in a horse with multifocal pancytokeratin expression.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- Patterson-Kane, Janet C & Ginn, Pamela E
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Science · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This report discusses a case of malignant melanoma, which is a type of skin cancer, in a 13-year-old bay Thoroughbred mare. The cancer was found in the skin and looked like clusters of cells surrounded by a lot of connective tissue. The tumor cells showed certain markers that are usually found in skin cells, which is unusual for this type of cancer in horses, as it's more commonly seen in humans. This case highlights a unique aspect of equine melanoma that hasn't been documented before.
Abstract
The current report describes a malignant melanoma in the dermis of a 13-year-old bay Thoroughbred mare. Microscopic examination revealed that tumor cells were arranged in cords and packets within an abundant collagenous stroma containing scattered myxomatous foci. Tumor cells stained positively for S-100, neuron-specific enolase, and vimentin and some contained melanin granules. Some clusters of tumor cells were also positive for pancytokeratin. Expression of epithelial cell markers has been described in small numbers of human melanomas but has not been reported previously in equine melanomas.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12580297/