Immunohistochemical and histopathologic features of 14 malignant fibrous histiocytomas from Flat-Coated Retrievers

Flat-Coated Retrievers seem to be at increased risk of developing soft-tissue sarcomas, and undifferentiated round cell or spindle cell sarcomas account for approximately 59% of sarcomas in the breed. In an attempt to classify these tumors further, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections from 14 undifferentiated sarcomas from Flat-Coated Retrievers were reviewed and examined with a panel of histologic and immunohistochemical stains. The panel included vimentin, desmin, Myo D1, smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin, S100, von Willebrand factor (factor VIII), Mac 387, CD3, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, and CD79a. The majority of the sarcomas showed greater than 70% staining for MHC class II. We conclude that these undifferentiated sarcomas in Flat-Coated Retrievers belong to a spectrum of tumors with varying proportions of characteristic cell types and morphologic features, some of which fit the diagnostic criteria for malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Many of these sarcomas seem to have a significant myofibroblast component and a mild or moderate T cell infiltrate but the precise cell lineage is still uncertain.