title: Cerebellar leptomeningeal carcinomatosis in a dog.
abstract: Diffuse cerebellar meningeal carcinomatosis secondary to haematogenous dissemination from an anaplastic solid mammary carcinoma was diagnosed in an old German shepherd dog suffering from seizures and rapidly progressing to stupor. A single computed tomography cerebellar scan identified an unusual homogeneous density area that was considered to be associated with a vascular disorder, in the absence of space-occupying lesions. At necropsy, nodular masses were observed in the mammary gland, lungs, tracheobronchial lymph nodes and adrenals. Cerebellar leptomeninges were affected by diffuse blood effusion. Histology showed a solid mammary tumour, characterised by anaplastic cells with a cytoplasmic keratin-positive and vimentin-negative immunoreaction. The tumour had spread to the lungs, tracheobronchial lymph nodes and adrenals. Cerebellar leptomeninges were diffusely infiltrated by the cytokeratin-positive neoplastic cells. Even though computed tomography scan gave no evidence of meningeal carcinomatosis, it was considered that a cerebellar vascular disorder might be present. This was subsequently confirmed by neuropathological investigation and seen to be associated with a cerebellar leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathological Science and Hygiene of Food and Animal Productions, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mandara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lepri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angeli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary / Q000662:veterinary*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000473:pathology*; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary / Q000662:veterinary*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000662:veterinary; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed