A newly recognized pattern of canine osteochondromatosis

Clinicopathological findings are described for a unique skeletal pattern of osteochondromatosis (syn. multiple osteochondromas) in three crossbred littermate dogs. Multiple nonpainful bilaterally symmetric skeletal lesions arose from focal semiannular and annular areas of periosteal thickening on the cortical surface of the metaphyses and diaphyses of long bones. Flat bones of the skull were spared. In radiographs osteochondromas in different stages of evolution were apparent. Grossly there were smoothly contoured, nodular subperiosteal masses of dense fibrocartilaginous and osseous tissue that were continuous with and overlying apparently normal but thin trabeculae of cancellous bone. Cortical compacta was attenuated or absent beneath exostoses. In histologic sections of the cartilage-capped exostoses a hyperplastic periosteum formed a focal semiannular or annular cap of proliferative hyaline cartilage tissue that underwent endochondral ossification and replacement by cancellous bone at its base. Intertrabecular spaces in the cancellous bone of exostoses were filled with fibro-osseous and hematopoietic tissue. A hereditary origin was suspected for the osteochondromas. Origin of some osteochondromas as semiannular or annular perturbations of the perichondrial ring of metaphyseal physes of long bones likely contributed to limb shortening and a pattern of billaterally symmetric angular limb deformities of all limbs as occurs in some children affected by osteochondromatosis.