Diagnosis and surgical management of acanthomatous ameloblastoma in a 5-month-old female Boerboel puppy

Abstract

A five-month-old female Boerboel puppy presented with a rapidly expanding fibrous growth around the canine tooth of the right maxilla was diagnosed as having acanthomatous ameloblastoma based on findings from skull radiography, cytology of fine needle aspiration, biopsy and histopathology of resected growth. Lateral radiograph of the skull revealed moderate osteolysis of the maxilla with presence of
un-erupted maxillary canine teeth. Cytology of fine needle aspirate from the growth showed clusters of epithelial cells that were  hyperchromatic and showing palisade arrangement. The mass was surgically resected using diathermy instrument following general anaesthesia using combination of intramuscular injection of xylazine (0.5mg/kg), and intravenous injection of propofol (4mg/kg). Post-operative management included Ibuprofen suspension (100mg) administered for 3-days, intravenous vincristine (0.5mg/m² ) once weekly and oral cyclophosphamide (50mg) was administered twice weekly for six weeks. Histopathology of the growth showed odontogenic epithelium embedded in pulp ectomesenchyme. Features of odontogenic epithelium include palisading epithelium with anti-basilar nuclei and centrally located cells having features of stellate reticulum. This is probably the first reported case of acanthomatous ameloblastoma in a Boerboel puppy that was successfully managed.

Keywords: Acanthomatous, Ameloblastoma, Boerboel-puppy, Chemotherapy, Odontoid