Early Diagnosis of Canine Mammary Tumours Using Nipple Aspirate Fluid Cytology and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytological Techniques

In the present study clinical evaluation of canine mammary tumour cases to the Small Animal Surgical Out Patient Ward of the Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital, Department of Clinics, Chennai – 600 007 between September 2005 and June 2006 was done. During the study period of 10 months, out of 100 dogs screened for mammary gland involvement, 88 showed mammary neoplasms and 12 were nonneoplastic. . NAF (Nipple aspirate fluid) was attempted in 651 glands of 83 dogs, of which, 346 glands of 72 dogs yielded NAF. Out of 346 glands, 224 were asymptomatic NAF yielders were mostly 6 10 years (44.44 per cent). Pure breeds (73.61 per cent) yielded NAF mostly and 94.44 per cent were intact. There was 30.63 per cent yield from the inguinal glands. NAF was mostly creamy white, dirty, watery and sticky. Cellularity was moderate (52.89 per cent). Immunostained NAF smears revealed high epithelial:macrophage ratio in malignant type. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was taken from 144 glands of 101 dogs including one necropsy case, 93 were malignant and 14 were benign tumours. NAF findings correlated well with FNAB and histopathology in the diagnosis of canine mammary tumours (88.89 per cent).