Localized, plexiform, diffuse, and other variants of neurofibroma in 12 dogs, 2 horses, and a chicken.
Authors: Schöniger S, Summers B A
Journal: Veterinary pathology
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Neurofibroma Subtypes in Companion Animals Neurofibromas—benign tumours arising from peripheral nerve tissue—have historically been lumped together with schwannomas in veterinary practice despite representing distinct pathological entities in human medicine. Schöniger and Summers examined tissue samples from 12 dogs, 2 horses, and 1 chicken with peripheral nerve sheath tumours, applying the detailed microscopic, immunohistological, and ultrastructural classification criteria used in human pathology to identify specific neurofibroma subtypes. The researchers found that animals developed the same five neurofibroma variants documented in humans (classic, collagenous, cellular, myxoid, and pigmented types), with similar growth patterns (localized, plexiform, diffuse, or mixed) and comparable tumour locations relative to patient age, including notably a rare presentation of plexiform neurofibromas concurrent with ganglioneuromatosis in young dogs' intestines. Establishing these standardized diagnostic criteria in veterinary medicine enables more accurate tumour classification, which carries implications for understanding disease epidemiology, underlying mechanisms, and prognostic outcomes in affected animals. For equine practitioners specifically, this framework supports more precise diagnosis of the subcutaneous neck and axillary masses occasionally encountered in older horses, potentially informing treatment decisions and owner communication.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Veterinary practitioners should recognize that equine neurofibromas can develop in middle-aged to older horses and present as subcutaneous masses in the neck and axilla region
- •Histopathologic classification of peripheral nerve sheath tumors using established human diagnostic criteria improves accuracy and may help predict prognosis and biological behavior
- •Concurrent occurrence of plexiform neurofibromas with ganglioneuromatosis is possible in young animals, warranting thorough examination of affected tissues
Key Findings
- •Neurofibromas in dogs, horses, and chicken demonstrate microscopic subtypes (localized, plexiform, diffuse, classic, collagenous, cellular, myxoid, pigmented) identical to human classifications
- •Two horses aged 11 and 12 years presented with neurofibromas in subcutis of neck and axilla
- •One hybrid neurofibroma-schwannoma was identified with combined schwannian differentiation features
- •Two plexiform neurofibromas in young dogs occurred concurrently with diffuse ganglioneuromatosis, matching patterns reported in human cases