Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

Re: Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

Gerbil — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 22:29:54 GMT

[quote user="Marie Kubiak"]

Mast cell tumours are certainly uncommon in GPs and I couldn't find any published case reports but the lab have come across previous cases so it isn't completely unheard of, unfortunately these cases had no further follow up though so don't help much. I emailed Masivet to see whether they do have any data they can pass on as if possible it would be nice to have something to offer the owner if possible. He's coming in next week for excision and we'll see how wide we can get margins without having to resort to major reconstructive surgery and submit the mass for histopath as planned. I'll update this when we hopefully have a definitive answer!

Marie

[/quote]

Wow, I find it hard to imagine that labs haven't reported conditions that haven't been described. Which labs have you sent the samples to if you don't mind my asking?

Well hope the biopsy sheds some light and that if there is a mast cell tumour you get the opportunity to be the first to describe it :)

Hope to see the report if it is as you describe.

Re: Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

Marie Kubiak — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:48:45 GMT

Hi,

about 5cm diameter (most of GP neck!). I am very reluctant to use glucocorticoids in this species due to the higher risk of side effects - they don't cope well with steroids in terms of immune or GI function at all and it messes with their fluid/electrolyte balance far more than in carnivores.

Marie

Re: Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

David Mills — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:38:44 GMT

How big is the mass? Why not shrink it with preds/dex pre-op? Then maximise margins that way? (Be sure to mark it with a marker pen as they can all but disappear).

Re: Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

Marie Kubiak — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 10:00:43 GMT

Marie

Re: Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

Gerry Polton — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 08:21:46 GMT

I agree entirely with our friend, Gerbil. There is a very strong case for histological analysis before making any further therapeutic decisions. The realities of practice define that this should be an excisional biopsy rather than a nice wedge biopsy, I am sure. The mast cells harvested on fine needle aspirate may be bystanders in a different disease process. Not wishing to suddenly generate inappropriate optimism, that disease process might be something lethal such as a lymphosarcoma.

Gerry

Re: Mast cell tumour in a guinea pig

Gerbil — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:03:23 GMT

I would (as you are doing) biopsy first, Mast cell tumours have not been described in Guinea pigs afaik

it may be associated with a reactive change.

I would want a definitive dx before I embarked on unlicensed novel therapies.

Im sure however that these drugs have been trailed in GPs etc so there must be some data available?