This was an aspirate from a dog with an enlarging mass in the submandibular / parotid region.
Whilst a definitive diagnosis wasn't given the cells are epithelial (as they have well demarcated cell boundaries) and display marked variation in nuclear size (anisokaryosis) and shape.
They display variation in the amount of cytoplasm they have (anisocytosis) and they have hyperchromatic nuclei with very large prominent nucleoli.
These are all features of malignancy.
Given these changes in conjunction with the clinical history a presumptive diagnoses included a carcinoma of salivary origin.
Thyroid carcinomas tend not to display marked atypia.
A primary cutaneous carcinoma (i.e. adnexal) was unlikely due to the deep location of the tumour.
First published: Wed, Nov 3 2010