title: Cytologic examination of fine-needle aspirates from mammary gland tumors in the dog: diagnostic accuracy with comparison to histopathology and association with postoperative outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mammary tumors are the most common neoplasms in female dogs. Malignant tumors may carry a poor prognosis and necessitate surgery. Few data are available on the value of cytologic examination as a diagnostic or prognostic tool for mammary tumors in dogs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to determine whether cytologic findings in fine-needle aspirate specimens of canine mammary tumors correlate with histopathologic results and whether the cytologic diagnosis is associated with postoperative outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, fine-needle aspirate samples were obtained from 50 mammary tumors in 50 dogs. Results of cytologic and histopathologic examination were compared, using the histologic diagnosis as the reference method. Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis was used to evaluate univariate association of the cytologic diagnosis with duration of survival, local control, and metastasis-free interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adequate cytologic samples were obtained in 43/50 (86%) cases. The cytologic diagnosis correlated with the histologic diagnosis for benign and malignant tumors in 40/43 (93%) and 35/43 (81%) cases, respectively. Cytologic examination had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 96% for the diagnosis of malignancy. The cytologic diagnosis had significant univariate association with duration of survival (P=.016), recurrence-free interval (P=.003), and metastasis-free interval (P=.014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytologic examination of mammary tumors in the dog has satisfactory accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for the diagnosis of malignancy and is associated with postoperative outcome. Further studies on the diagnostic accuracy of cytology as well as multivariate analysis of its preoperative prognostic value in mammary tumors in the dog are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Hospital, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany. daniela.simon@tiho-hannover.de
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Dorina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schoenrock
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baumgärtner
authors.forename: Ronnie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mischke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome