J. Vet. Med.

A 47, 457–462 (2000)

© 2000 Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin
ISSN 0931–184X

Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Malignant Lymphoma in Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses of

a Dog
E. KALDRYMIDOU1,5, N. PAPAIOANNOU1, TH. POUTAHIDIS1, M. KARAYANNOPOULOU2,
E. GRUYS3, TH. TOLIOU4 and TH. TSANGARIS1
Addresses of authors: 1Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, 54006, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Clinic of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Department of Veterinary Pathology, Utrecht University, The
Netherlands; 4Department of Pathology, Theagenion Cancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece;
5
Corresponding author

With 6 figures and one table

(Received for publication January 21, 2000)

Summary
A case of a canine large cell type T-cell lymphoma, with features of high-grade malignancy is described.
The tumour was found confined in the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses of a crossbred German
Shepherd dog. Histological examination revealed the features of a highly malignant large cell lymphoma.
Ultrastructurally, the lymphoid tumour cells bore cytoplasmic protrusions that interdigitated tightly. From
a panel of tumour markers used, the neoplastic cells were stained only for vimentin. Immunophenotyping
of the tumour cells by means of CD3, CD79, k-light chains and l-light chains detection was undertaken.
The tumour stained only for CD3 and was classified as T-cell lymphoma.

Introduction
The nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses have never been included in the topographical,
extranodal distribution of canine lymphoma, which is a common tumour in dogs (Jarrett and
Mackey, 1974; Moulton and Harvey, 1990; Valli and Parry, 1993). However, Robertson (1998)
reported a case of a canine nasal tumour that was presumed to be a lymphoblastic lymphoma
on the basis of an aspiration biopsy examination result.
Sometimes, lymphomas in animals are found confined to specific areas of the lymphoid
system, especially in the early stage of the disease (Momoi et al., 1997), or can be found isolated
in an organ (solitary lymphoma) (Moulton and Harvey, 1990). The adaptation of the human non-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma classification to the dog raised morphological and immunophenotypical
difficulties (Fournel-Fleury et al., 1997). Nevertheless, in studies that attempted to apply such
criteria, T-cell lymphoma was diagnosed as 10 % (Appelbaum et al., 1984), 22 % (Ruslander et
al., 1997), 26 % (Fournel-Fleury et al., 1997) or 37.9 % (Teske et al., 1994) of canine lymphoma
cases. Among the lymphomas of the T-cell phenotype, the high-grade large cell type seemed to
be in a minority (Fournel-Fleury et al., 1997).
In the present article, a case of a highly malignant large cell lymphoma of the T-cell
phenotype, which was found confined in the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses of a dog is
described.

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458 KALDRYMIDOU et al.

Materials and Methods

The animal presented was a male, 2-year-old, crossbred German Shepherd dog with a large
(8 cm × 10 cm) subcutaneous mass between the eyes. According to the owner, the mass had appeared 2
months previously and it had been gradually getting larger. Clinical examination revealed tachypnea and
mild dyspnoea. The radiographic examination of the skull revealed a soft tissue mass over the frontal
bones and diffuse osteolysis of the frontal and nasal bones (Fig. 1). The tumour was inoperable and,

Fig. 1. Soft tissue mass over the frontal bones (arrow) and diffuse osteolytic lesions of the frontal and
nasal bones.
Fig. 2. A uniform population of large lymphoid cells. Their nuclei are round to ovoid with finely dispersed
chromatin. Note the frequent mitotic figures. H-E. Bar = 20 mm.
 Malignant Lymphoma in Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses of a Dog 459

although there was no radiographic evidence of pulmonary metastases and the dog was otherwise normal,
a poor prognosis was given. Three months later, when the deformation of the dog’s face became dramatic
and bilateral exophthalmus was prominent, the dog was euthanased, although there was still no radiographic
evidence of pulmonary metastases.
Tissue specimens (tumour mass, retropharyngeal, mandibular, parotid, mediastinal, mesenteric and
lumbar-medial iliac lymph nodes, spleen, liver, thymus, lung, skin, heart, kidney and small intestine) for
light microscopic studies were fixed in 10 % neutral-buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin wax.
Haematoxylin and eosin standard staining procedures were performed for histopathological studies.
Tumor mass paraffin wax sections were used for immunohistochemical examinations. The mon-
oclonal antibodies against CD79a, HMB-45, vimentin, CKHM, CKLM and EMA, as well as rabbit antisera
against CEA, CD3, k-light chains and l-light chains were used as primary antibodies. The immunostaining
was performed according to the protocol of the peroxidase–antiperoxidase complex (PAP) and avidin–
biotin-complex (ABC) method (Table 1).
Tumor mass specimens for electron microscopic examination were treated according to the standard
method and they were examined using a Zeiss EM-9S-2 electron microscope (Zeiss, Oberkochen,
Germany).

Results
At necropsy, a grey-coloured tumour mass appeared to fill the paranasal sinuses and the
posterior part of the nasal cavity. Osteolysis of the frontal, maxilla and nasal bones was
prominent and a part of the tumour protruded through the bone deficit subcutaneously. A
small and partly haemorrhagic part of the tumour mass also protruded into the oral cavity. The
septal processes and the ethmoturbinates were completely destroyed. The tumour mass had
extended to the orbits and had produced exophthalmus, but there was no evidence of invasion
in the ocular globes. The tumour contained large foci of necrosis and liquefaction. No gross
lesions were found in other organs.
Histological examination revealed a uniform population of large lymphoid cells with round
or ovoid nuclei. Mitoses were common (Fig. 2). Occasionally, delicate fibrous septa divided
sheets of tumour cells. The lymph nodes, spleen, liver and other organs were normal.
Immunohistochemically, the tumour was differentiated from melanomas and carcinomas
by the negative staining for CEA, EMA, HMB-45 and CK antigens, compared with the control
sections. For the differentiation of the lymphoid cells, antibodies against CD3, CD79, k-light
chains and l-light chains were applied to paraffin wax sections. The tumour stained only for
CD3 and was classified as T-cell lymphoma (Fig. 3). In addition, the tumour was stained for
vimentin (Fig. 4).
Ultrastructurally, all tumour cells showed numerous cytoplasmic projections. The pro-
jections of adjacent cells were interdigitating tightly (Figs 5, 6). Neither cell junctions nor
basement membrane surrounding the tumour cells, were found. The nuclei of the tumour cells
were either round in shape or ovoid and some of them exhibited nuclear envelope invaginations
(Fig. 6). The moderately abundant cytoplasm was filled with polyribosomes and mitochondria.
A well developed Golgi apparatus, profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum, some scattered
microfilaments and primary lysosomes were found in the tumour cells that had an invaginated
nuclear envelope (Fig. 5).

Discussion
Certain large cell lymphomas may be misdiagnosed by light microscopy as metastatic
melanomas or adenocarcinomas (Osborne et al., 1983). In that case, the fact that large cell
lymphomas in dogs conform to the anatomic distribution of other lymphomas is of diagnostic
importance (Moulton and Harvey, 1990). However, in the present study the tumour was found
to be confined in a site that has never been included in the anatomic distribution of canine
lymphoma (Jarrett and Mackey, 1974; Moulton and Harvey, 1990; Valli and Parry, 1993) and
the lymph nodes, the spleen, the liver and the other organs were found to be normal. Therefore,
although light microscopy revealed the morphological features of a highly malignant large cell
lymphoma, the case was further defined by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.
 460
Table 1 Summary of materials and methods used in immunohistochemical staining

Incubation Dilution of
Dilution of Origin of with primary secondary
Method Primary Ab primary Ab Primary Ab Ab Pre-treatment Secondary Aba Ab Positive control

PAP Rb P AH CEA 1 : 100 Dako 30 min at 37°C 0.25 % Thrypsin swine anti-Rb 1 : 200 Canine mammary gland
ABC Mo M AH CK 1 : 100 Dako 30 min at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Rb 1 : 200 Canine squamous cell
(HM) anti-Mo IgG carcinoma
ABC Mo M AH CK 1 : 50 Novocastra 30 min at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Rb 1 : 200 Human mammary gland
(LM) anti-Mo IgG
ABC Mo M AH EMA 1 : 50 Novocastra 30 min at 37°C None biotinylated Rb 1 : 200 Human mammary gland

KALDRYMIDOU et al.
anti-Mo IgG
ABC Mo M AH HMB- 1 : 50 Dako 30 min at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Rb 1 : 200 Canine malignant
45 anti-Mo IgG melanoma
ABC Mo M AH vimentin 1 : 50 Dako 30 min at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Rb 1 : 200 Canine normal skin
anti-Mo IgG
ABC Mo M AH CD79 1 : 50 Dako 1 h at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Ho 1 : 125 Canine hyperplastic
anti-Mo IgG reactive lymphnode
ABC Rb P AH k-light 1 : 3000 Dako 1 h at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Ho 1 : 125 Canine hyperplastic
chain anti-Mo IgG reactive lymphnode
ABC Rb P AH l-light 1 : 5000 Dako 1 h at 37°C Microwave oven biotinylated Ho 1 : 125 Canine hyperplastic
chain anti-Mo IgG reactive lymphnode
ABC Rb P AH CD3 1 : 400 Dako 1 h at 37°C 0.1% Pronase biotinylated Go 1 : 250 Canine hyperplastic
anti-Rb reactive lymphnode

Ab, antibody; PAP, peroxidase–antiperoxidase complex method; ABC, abidin–biotin complex method; Rb, rabbit;P, polyclonal; AH, anti-human; CEA,
carcinoembryonic antigen; Mo, mouse; M, monoclonal; CK, cytokeratin; HM, high molecular; LM, low molecular; EMA, epithelial membrane antigen; Ho, horse;
Go, goat.
a
All secondary antibodies originated from Dako, Glostrup, Denmark except for the biotinylated horse antimouse IgG (Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA).
 Malignant Lymphoma in Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses of a Dog 461

Fig. 3. Neoplastic cells immunostained for CD3 (Pan-T-cell marker). Paraffin wax section from the
formalin-fixed neoplastic tissue. ABC-method, Mayer’s Hematoxylin as counter stain. Bar = 20 mm.
Fig. 4. Neoplastic cells immunostained for vimentin. Paraffin wax section from formalin-fixed neoplastic
tissue. ABC-method, Mayer’s haematoxylin as counterstain. Bar = 20 mm.
Fig. 5. Parts of tumour cells. The cell protrusions are prominent (arrow heads). Note the absence of cell
junctions and basement membrane. N, nucleus. G, Golgi apparatus. GER, rough endoplasmic reticulum.
Ly, lysosomes. Bar = 0.5 mm.
Fig. 6. Large cell lymphoma cells showing cytoplasmic protrusions which interdigitate tightly (arrows). R,
ribosomes. M, mitochondria. The nuclear chromatin (NC) is finely stippled and some cells exhibit nuclear
envelope invaginations. Bar = 20 mm.

The identification of immunophenotype in canine malignant lymphomas has a prognostic

value, since T-cell lymphomas have a worse prognosis than those of the B-cell phenotype
(Greenlee et al., 1990; Ruslander et al., 1997). The anti-CD79a and anti-CD3 are useful for the
demonstration of canine B and T cells, respectively (Ferrer et al., 1992; Milner et al., 1996). The
tumour stained only for the pan-T-cell marker (CD3) and was identified as a T-cell lymphoma.
The positive reaction for vimentin indicated the presence of microfilaments, although mic-
rofilament cores were not detected ultrastructurally. An increase in intracytoplasmic filaments
has been observed in canine lymphomas and according to some authors indicates a state of
heightened metabolic activity of the tumour cells (Rangan et al., 1971).
Ultrastructurally, the absence of cell junctions and basement membrane surrounding the
malignant cells differentiated the tumour from carcinoma (Ghadially, 1985). The finding of
interdigitating cytoplasmic projections of adjacent tumour cells was not misinterpreted as
evidence of adenocarcinoma, because this finding, although unusual, can be found in certain
large cell lymphomas (Osborne et al., 1983). The electron-dense membrane-bound granules,
462 KALDRYMIDOU et al.

which were found in the cytoplasm of some tumour cells and could be interpreted as pre-
melanosomes in an amelanotic melanoma tumour, did not bear the characteristic pre-mel-
anosome inner structure (Ghadially, 1985). Those granules were considered to be lysosomes.
In conclusion, to the authors’ knowledge, the canine lymphoma presented here is unusual
because it was found confined in an uncommon topographic site. Furthermore, it must be
mentioned that a highly malignant large cell lymphoma of the T-cell phenotype, which is
comprised of lymphoid cells that bear cytoplasmic projections, represents a small minority of
canine lymphoma cases.

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