Subcutaneous nodular fasciitis in dogs: Two cases

Abstract

Nodular fasciitis is a commonly diagnosed condition in humans with rare occurrences in veterinary practice, especially in dogs and cats, where it is usually associated with the ocular region. Two dogs separately had a mass on the shoulder girdle and the caudal part of the elbow of their respective right forelimbs upon presentation for clinical attention in two private veterinary clinics in Abuja, Nigeria. These solitary and well-demarcated masses were characterized by fibroblastic and vascular proliferation along with focal hemorrhage, mononuclear cellular infiltration, and fatty degenerative changes. Nevertheless, histomorphological lesions and positive immunoreactivity for vimentin, α-SMA, and desmin, as well as negative CD31, CD34, and CD117 immunoreactivity led to a definitive diagnosis of nodular fasciitis. This is a novel report of histomorphological and immunohistochemical diagnosis of subcutaneous nodular fasciitis on the right shoulder girdle and elbow regions of dogs in veterinary practice.