Search Results (3)

Ceruminous glands are specialized apocrine sweat glands. Neoplastic transformation of these glands is often seen in the external ear canal. Tumors arising from these glands can present a diagnostic dilemma because of their varied clinical and histological manifestations. This study was conducted as little information is currently available on these neoplasms. The present study undertakes a scoping review of research on canine and feline CGTs according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews on three databases (NCBI-PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect) from 1980 to 2023 (43 years) to determine the extent of the existing literature on its clinicopathological characteristics, overall prognosis, survival rates, and biomarker studies. Seventeen canine and nineteen feline publications that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Eleven canine and twelve feline unpublished cases of CGTs managed in Malaysia were also reviewed. Our study concluded surgical excision as part of the treatment for this neoplasia may lengthen animals’ survival period and produce a satisfactory quality of life; however, a substantial risk of complications, especially after aggressive surgical excision, exists. Full article

Small effective population sizes raise the probability of extinction by increasing the frequency of potentially deleterious alleles and reducing fitness. However, the extent to which cancers play a role in the fitness reduction of genetically depauperate wildlife populations is unknown. Santa Catalina island foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) sampled in 2007–2008 have a high prevalence of ceruminous gland tumors, which was not detected in the population prior to a recent bottleneck caused by a canine distemper epidemic. The disease appears to be associated with inflammation from chronic ear mite (Otodectes) infections and secondary elevated levels of Staphyloccus pseudointermedius bacterial infections. However, no other environmental factors to date have been found to be associated with elevated cancer risk in this population. Here, we used whole genome sequencing of the case and control individuals from two islands to identify candidate loci associated with cancer based on genetic divergence, nucleotide diversity, allele frequency spectrum, and runs of homozygosity. We identified several candidate loci based on genomic signatures and putative gene functions, suggesting that cancer susceptibility in this population may be polygenic. Due to the efforts of a recovery program and weak fitness effects of late-onset disease, the population size has increased, which may allow selection to be more effective in removing these presumably slightly deleterious alleles. Long-term monitoring of the disease alleles, as well as overall genetic diversity, will provide crucial information for the long-term persistence of this threatened population. Full article

Ceruminous pleomorphic adenoma is a very rare, mostly benign tumor originating from the ceruminal glands in the external auditory canal. Histologically, it is a mixed tumor with epithelial and stromal parts of different proportions, and is recognized today by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a ceruminous adenoma. Similar to the pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands, recurrence or malignant degeneration with cellular atypia and metastasis can occur on rare occasions. Here, we describe an 87-year old female patient with a growing spherical mass in the right external auditory canal. After exclusive endoscopic tumor resection, a ceruminous pleomorphic adenoma was histologically diagnosed. Due to the absence of nuclear pleomorphism, no increased mitotic rate, no perineural invasion and no fusion transcripts of the MYB or MYBL1 gene loci, an adenoid cystic carcinoma could be excluded. The postoperative course was without any evidence of complications. A literature review identified 44 articles with 49 patients that were considered. Hearing loss and ear sensations were the most commonly reported symptoms. Most cases underwent an excision via an endaural or retroauricular approach. Recurrences were described in four patients, three of which had a malignant transformation. Full article