Hepatosplenic lymphoma in a dog

Michael M. Fry, University of Tennessee - Knoxville
W Vernau
C Bromel
P A. Pesavento
P F. Moore

Abstract

We describe a case of a dog with hepatosplenic lymphoma, a disease characterized by infiltration of the liver, spleen, and bone marrow with gammadelta T cells, absence of peripheral lymphadenopathy, and an aggressive clinical course. Physical examination findings, hematologic and biochemical abnormalities, and clinical course of the disease in this patient were similar to those in humans. Immunophenotyping of liver and spleen aspirates supported an antemortem diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma consistent with hepatosplenic lymphoma. The diagnosis was confirmed postmortem by a combination of routine histopathology, showing a consistent pattern of organ involvement, and immunohistochemistry showing the infiltrating neoplastic lymphocytes to be T cells expressing the gammadelta T-cell receptor. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of hepatosplenic lymphoma in a dog.