title: Clinical study of cryosurgery efficacy in the treatment of skin and subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of cryosurgery for treatment of skin and subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs (n=20), cats (10).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cutaneous or subcutaneous tumors were treated by liquid nitrogen cryosurgical spray (1 cm from target tissue at 90 degrees until a 5-mm halo of frozen tissue was achieved) for 15-60 seconds. Malignant lesions had 3 freeze-thaw cycles benign tumors, 2 cycles. The second or third freeze cycle was performed after complete thaw of the preceding freeze. Wounds healed by second intention. Follow-up was weekly for 1 month and then twice monthly until wounds healed, and final outcome was determined by telephone interview of owners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor size ranged from 0.3 to 11 cm diameter with 28 (60%) being 0.3-1 cm; 8 (17%) 1.1-3 cm, and 11 (23%) >3.4 cm. Complications included edema, erythema and for extremity lesions, pain and lameness. Treated lesions (n=47) had an overall remission of 98% (mean follow-up, 345+/-172.02 days [range, 150-750 days]). One malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor recurred 7 months after cryosurgical treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryosurgery is an efficient method for treatment of skin and subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryosurgical ablation is an effective means of treating small cutaneous or subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats, especially in older animals where wound closure or cosmetic outcome might limit surgical excision alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Genilson Fernandes
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: De Queiroz
authors.forename: Julia Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Matera
authors.forename: Maria Lúcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zaidan Dagli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D002415:Cats; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*