Retrospective evaluation of canine palpebral masses treated with debulking and cryotherapy: 46 cases

To evaluate the recurrence frequency and the time to recurrence of canine palpebral masses treated with debulking and cryotherapy.

Medical records of dogs that underwent debulking and cryotherapy for palpebral masses from December 2010 to November 2015 at the University of Minnesota's Veterinary Medical Center were reviewed. A telephone survey with owners was used to determine recurrence and time to recurrence.

Forty-six masses (31 dogs) were included in this retrospective study. Included palpebral masses were as follows: adenomas 17/46 (37%), epitheliomas 8/46 (17.4%), papillomas 6/46 (13%), inflammatory masses 6/46 (13%), mixed adenoma-papillomas 6/46 (13%), mixed epithelioma-papillomas 2/46 (4.4%), and a melanocytoma 1/46 (2.2%). Of the seven masses that were noted to recur (7/46, 15.2%), three were mixed adenoma-papillomas (three of six adenoma-papillomas, 50%), two were epitheliomas (two of eight epitheliomas, 25%), one was a papilloma (one of six papillomas, 16.7%), and one was a melanocytoma (one of one melanocytoma, 100%). Average recurrence time was 367.9 days [range: 30-904 days]. A significant association between tumor type and tumor recurrence was found (P = .009). Adenomas were significantly less likely to recur (P = .017), and mixed adenoma-papillomas were significantly more likely to recur (P = .001).

Debulking and cryotherapy is an effective method of treatment for eyelid masses in dogs with a low study recurrence rate of 15.2% and average recurrence time of 367.9 days. Results also suggest that mixed adenoma-papilloma masses have a significantly higher recurrence rate than other eyelid masses, whereas adenomas had no recurrence in our study population.