Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma with intracranial metastasis in a dog

Abstract

This report concerns a case of pancreatic carcinoma with widespread metastases to many organs including intracranial metastasis. An eleven-year-old, male, mixed-breed dog showed emaciation, ataxia, and multiple visible tumors within the neck. A MRI examination of the patient was conducted because of ataxia, and it was found that the intracranial invasive growth had resulted in compression of the brain stem. Necropsy was performed after the patient died. Based on gross and microscopic examination, the primary tumor cells were located in the left lobe of the pancreas and widespread metastasis was found into various organs, including the brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, tonsils, serosal surface of the esophagus, and submandibular, pulmonary hilar, mediastinal, and mesenteric lymph nodes. This case indicates that pancreatic adenocarcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis list when cervical neck masses are detected.