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Diagnosis | Cutaneous histiocytic sarcoma

Lab Animal volume 39, pages 38–39 (2010)Cite this article

The cells seen on the fine-needle aspiration sample were consistent with a histiocytic origin. The gross appearance of the lesion along with the marked cellular homogeneity of the fine-needle aspiration sample made histiocytic sarcoma a primary differential diagnosis. However, we could not completely rule out an inflammatory process. Hematology and biochemistry results were unremarkable and consistent with the clinically healthy picture we observed during physical examination. Therefore, further differentiation and identification required histological interpretation.

The term 'reticulum cell' tumor has previously been used when describing this neoplasm, which is composed of cells with scant amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm that often possess phagocytic ability3. Synonyms for histiocytic sarcoma include malignant fibrous histiocytoma, Kupffer cell sarcoma, histiocytic fibrosarcoma and histiocytic lymphoma4,5. Histiocytic sarcoma is relatively common in rodents and should be considered separate from a true lymphoid neoplasm6. Prudent differential diagnoses (both gross and microscopic) should include fibrosarcoma, lymphosarcoma, osteosarcoma, hematoma, hemangioma and granulomatous inflammatory tissue7.

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Figure 3: Histological section of the mass in Figure 1 stained with hematoxylin and eosin.

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Diagnosis | Cutaneous histiocytic sarcoma. Lab Anim 39, 38–39 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0210-38

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