Muscle Neoplasia

Primary neoplasia

  • Rare in domestic animals
  • Rhabdomyoma
    • Benign
    • E.g. laryngeal in dogs
    • Grossly:
      • Lobulated with no capsule
    • Histologically:
      • Large granular cells
      • Positive staining for myoglobin and desmin (immunoperoxidase technique)
      • Z - band material can be seen by electron microscopy
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
    • Malignant
    • Mainly in dogs
    • Metastases via lymphatics or venous routes -> in lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, heart and eleswhere in skeletal muscle
    • Grossly:
      • Pink masses with no capsule
    • Histologically:
      • Very varied
      • Cells with or without visible cross striations
        • Most easily seen with iron haematoxylin
        • Muscle tissue only contains myoglobin detected by immunoperoxidase method

Metastatic neoplasia

  • Can occur to skeletal muscle (e.g. carcinoma, haemangiosarcoma)
  • Infiltrative lipomas of dogs
    • Mature adipocyte tumours
    • Usually deep in subcutis or muscle
    • Infiltate along fascial planes or into muscles
    • Grossly:
      • Soft muscles
      • Yellow fat separating fasciculi
    • Histologically:
      • Well-differentiated adipose cells