Acute myeloblastic leukaemia in a dog

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Hematology
• Oncology

Background:

• Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) in dogs shares similarities with human classifications.
• Accurate diagnosis relies on morphological and cytochemical analysis of blood and bone marrow cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize AML in a dog using morphological and cytochemical features.
• To evaluate the efficacy of busulfan treatment in canine AML.
• To determine the origin and proliferation characteristics of the leukaemic clone.

Main Methods:

• Morphological and cytochemical examination of bone marrow and peripheral blood smears.
• Assessment of disease course and treatment response.
• Analysis of leukaemic cell morphology and bone marrow mitotic indices.

Main Results:

• The dog's AML was classified as similar to human M-2 type.
• Busulfan treatment led to a minor reduction in peripheral nucleated cells but did not affect the blast count.
• Leukaemic cells showed resistance to busulfan.
• The dog survived for 94 days post-diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Canine AML diagnosis requires detailed cell morphology and cytochemistry.
• Busulfan is largely ineffective against this form of canine AML.
• The leukaemic clone likely originated from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells with decreased proliferation rate.