[Small animal contribution to pediatric oncology]

Retrospective analysis of biopsy material submitted to an Institute of Veterinary Pathology by private veterinary practitioners from 1993-1995 revealed tumors in 157 dogs and 71 cats under one year of age. Both histiocytomas and papillomas were excluded from the study. In the dog 55% (n = 87) and in the cat 73% (n = 52) of all tumors were diagnosed as malignant. In the dog tumors in order of frequency were: mammary neoplasia (n = 24, of those n = 10 malignant), soft tissue sarcomas (n = 24), hematopoietic tumors (n = 23), benign mesenchymal tumors (n = 16), mast cell tumors (n = 15), odontogenic tumors (n = 9), melanomas (n = 9, of those n = 5 malignant), osteosarcoma (n = 6), others (n = 31). In the feline, sarcomas were most common and of those hematopoietic tumors (lymphoma n = 23; 32%; mast cell tumors n = 12; 17%) were the two largest groups. The remaining sarcomas were 13 soft tissue sarcomas (18%) of which fibrosarcomas (n = 8) were most prevalent. Carcinomas where diagnosed in only 2 cases whereas among benign neoplasms (n = 19; 27%), epithelial tumors were the largest group (n = 14). In the order of frequency the following benign neoplasias were identified: fibroadenoma of mammary gland (n = 5), odontogenic tumors (n = 5), benign soft tissue tumors (n = 4), others (n = 6).