From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2006-04-15 17:33:39 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: Need info
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
You might need to have the slides reread by a pathologist who is used to doing ferrets if an everyday pathology lab was used.
>From VIN:
The histiocytoma is a tumor originating from what is called a Langerhans cell. This cell lives in the skin and serves as part of the immune system by processing incoming antigens and presenting them to other immunologic cells.
Here is the one pathology post from ferret expert pathologist, Dr. Bruce Williams, that I found on any histiocytoma (but it is old -- from 4 and a half years ago):
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=YG8479
Well, malignant fibrous histiocytoma has not been previously seen in
ferrets (if that is what it is.) MFH is a dog diagnosis, and
pathologists should be very careful in makign this type fo diagnosis
without appropriate workup across species line. In fact, MFH is
somewhat of a garbage-can diagnosis with very poorly defined criteria
in the dog, and many neoplasms are often dumped into this category in
lieu of pursuing more definitive diagnoses. Before making a
diagnosis of this nature, I would generally run a battery of
immunohistochemical tests to ensure the diagnosis and rule out the
possibility of lymphoma and several other possibilities, which was
not performed in this case.
I look forward to receiving this interesting case.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
This article from Pub Med predates many labs being able to tell the nuances:
J Comp Pathol. 1989 Feb;100(2):161-76.
Neoplasia in ferrets: eleven cases with a review.
Dillberger JE, Altman NH.
Department of Toxicology, Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-0470
but may be worth a look if the pathology is correct.
Given a suggestive thing that I can not access fully I am wondering if ferret mast cells tumors wind up confused in pathology by places that are not used to doing ferret pathology. Ferret mast cells tumors vary from dog ones some significant ways. Here is VERY GOOD ARTICLE:
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/Mast/mastcell.html
Note that I do NOT know if that histology mistake is possible, just that I have run into something which suggests that it might be.
Okay, here we go. It IS possible to confuse mast cell tumors and histocytoma
http://www.labbies.com/cancer_letters.htm#Mast%20vs%20Histiocytoma
http://ocw.tufts.edu/courses/5/content/215909
mentions a report of a thoracic one
--
The below comments are an aside, but useful to know if there is a search done.
Another, much more recent article showed up but it *looks* like there is now a pathology term, nuclear Ferret diameter, associated with computerization because a search elsewhere brought it up in relation to some other things where I am finding comments like:
Computer-assisted image analysis was performed to gauge the nuclear area, nuclear Ferret diameter, nuclear regularity factor, nuclear elongation factor, number of nuclear vesicles and total area of all nuclear vesicles in the follicles
and
By multivariate analysis, only the nuclear area, Ferret diameter and regularity factor were ascertained to be significant predictors of malignancy.
Another article refers to these as histomorphometric nuclear parameters so I would guess that there are perhaps some cellular morphometric measurements which become possible with current computer assistance. (About 3 decades ago with the anatomical sci. dept. at Stony Brook where I worked and studied some I helped with a skull feature computerized plotting study so perhaps this type of tool is a far better refined variation of the larger feature use from back then when even image position control was a real problem, the features studied were large ones, and the tools crude but cutting edge then in a brand new way to seeing things; I don't know if this an off-shoot of that early work, though.)
I do NOT know the meaning of nuclear Ferret diameter and hope to learn it.
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
====================================================================<<<
Want a real relationship for the real you? Click below
http://ads.smartgroups.com/adclick/CID=000000d0c79a99a500000000
====================================================================>>>
--
If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or start a vote
visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
To leave the group, email: ferrethealth-unsubscribe@smartgroups.com
Report abuse http://www.smartgroups.com/text/abusereport.cfm?gid%3D1423922&mid%3D17118