References
Nosectomy in the dog and cat
Abstract
Surgical excision of tumours with a clear margin offers the best chance of curing many patients. However, it may be difficult on occasions to obtain a wide enough margin, either because of the proximity of the tumour to structures that would result in physical or mobility problems if damaged, or else because the result of excision is a potentially startling or unwanted change in appearance. Many clients have an abhorrence to the thought of limb amputation, for example. Amputation of the nose (nasal planectomy or nosectomy), is a potentially life-saving and curative surgical option in many cases of nasal neoplasia, but is often disregarded due to fears over the complexity of surgery, or of the animal's appearance post surgically. This article aims to outline the benefits of the procedure and illustrates its use with two case examples.
Tumours of the nasal planum are relatively uncommon on dogs, representing approximately 1% of all canine cancers (Lana et al, 2004). Nasal planum tumours are much more common in cats, representing between 14–18% of all feline cancers (Williams, 2006): the incidence is much higher in white cats and those living outdoors and it is much more prevalent in sunny countries, reflecting the role of UV light in causing the malignant changes, through a process known as actinic metaplasia (Fuchs and Marmur, 2007). By and large, the most commonly occurring neoplasm of the nasal planum is the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (Dobson et al, 2006).
Typically, patients are presented with lesions on the nasal planum which vary from scabby, dry plaques, through to erosive ulcers (Murphy, 2013). Occasionally, patients may present with acute epistaxis, when erosion through a nasal planar blood vessel has occurred.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting The Veterinary Nurse and reading some of our peer-reviewed content for veterinary professionals. To continue reading this article, please register today.