Histiocytic Neoplasms in Companion Animals

Histiocytic neoplasms encompass a spectrum of tumours arising from cells of the monocyte–macrophage or dendritic lineages in companion animals, most notably dogs and cats. These disorders range from benign cutaneous histiocytomas—common in young dogs and often self‐regressing—to highly aggressive histiocytic sarcomas that can affect multiple organ systems. Breed predispositions have been well documented, with Bernese mountain dogs, flat‐coated retrievers and certain small breeds showing elevated incidence. Clinical presentation varies by tumour subtype and location: cutaneous lesions may present as solitary nodules, central nervous system involvement often manifests with neurological deficits and periarticular sarcomas can induce severe lameness. Diagnosis relies on a combination of cytology, histopathology and immunophenotyping, with markers such as CD18, Iba-1 and CD204 helping to distinguish histiocytic malignancies from other round cell tumours. Advances in molecular profiling have begun to reveal conserved copy number aberrations and gene deletions shared with human histiocytic cancers, highlighting the dog as a spontaneous model for translational studies. Treatment options remain limited: surgical excision may offer local control in solitary cutaneous forms, while systemic chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy are employed for more disseminated or refractory disease. Prognosis is highly variable, from excellent in regressing histiocytomas to poor in disseminated sarcomas, emphasising the need for refined diagnostic tools and novel therapeutic strategies.

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Histiocytic Neoplasms in Companion Animals publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in histiocytic neoplasms in companion animals across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Histiocyte: A tissue-resident immune cell derived from monocytes, including macrophages and dendritic cells.

Neoplasm: An abnormal proliferation of cells forming a tumour, benign or malignant.

Histiocytic sarcoma: A malignant tumour arising from histiocytes, often aggressive and prone to systemic dissemination.

Cutaneous histiocytoma: A benign skin tumour of Langerhans cell origin in dogs, typically self‐resolving.

Comparative genomic hybridisation: A molecular technique for detecting DNA copy number changes across the genome.

Cerebrospinal fluid analysis: Examination of fluid from the subarachnoid space to detect inflammatory or neoplastic cells.

Palliative-intent radiotherapy: Radiation treatment aimed at symptom relief rather than curative outcome.

References

1. Histopathological and Ultrastructural Study of a Canine Langerhans Cell Tumour (Canine Cutaneous Histiocytoma). Cells (2024).
2. Molecular cytogenetic characterization of canine histiocytic sarcoma: A spontaneous model for human histiocytic cancer identifies deletion of tumor suppressor genes and highlights influence of genetic background on tumor behavior. BMC Cancer (2011).
3. Clinicopathological characteristics of histiocytic sarcoma affecting the central nervous system in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (2020).
4. Impact of palliative‐intent radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy on lameness in flat coat retrievers with localised periarticular histiocytic sarcoma – a retrospective cohort, single institution study. Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (2023).