Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor with Osseous and Cartilaginous Differentiation in a Dog

Abstract

A 12-year-old, female Labrador retriever was brought to our hospital with lameness of the left thoracic limb. A neurologic examination revealed hyporeflexia of the forelimb. As the pet owner declined further clinical tests, the dog gradually became worse, and was euthanized on day 275. In necropsy, a mass was found in the caudal cervical vertebral canal and 6-7th intervertebral foramen. Histologically it was confirmed as a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and chondro-osseous differentiation was also seen. The incidence of this kind of nerve tumor is relatively high in dogs, but is seldom accompanied by differentiation in one tumor. Our case is rare in dogs.