title: Retrospective study of cytologic features of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma in dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytologic diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is possible when hepatocytes have prominent criteria of malignancy, but is problematic when hepatocytes have a relatively normal morphologic appearance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the cytologic features of histologically confirmed well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas (WD-HCC) in dogs to develop reasonable criteria for an accurate diagnosis when obvious criteria of malignancy in hepatocytes are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Slides of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirates of 15 histologically confirmed WD-HCC in dogs were evaluated retrospectively using a scoring system (0-3) established for 33 cytologic features. For comparison, 15 cytologic samples of non-nodular non-neoplastic liver were evaluated using the same criteria. Statistical analysis included multiple hypothesis testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg method or false discovery rate control to correct for multiple comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most significant and useful cytologic features in the diagnosis of canine WD-HCC were dissociation of hepatocytes, acinar or palisading arrangements of neoplastic cells, and the presence of naked nuclei and capillaries, together with mild anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, multinuclearity, and increased N:C ratios.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytologic features of canine WD-HCC were determined. Further studies are warranted to compare these cytologic criteria among WD-HCC, hepatomas, and hyperplastic nodules and to examine co-variance of the 33 cytologic features.
authors.affiliation: San Marco Private Veterinary Laboratory, Padua, Italy. carlo.masserdotti@gmail.com
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Masserdotti
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drigo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000662:veterinary; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000662:veterinary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies