Clinical recognition and therapeutic treatment options for cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma in dogs

A 12-year-old spayed female Labrador retriever presented to the Cornell small animal internal medicine service for evaluation of multifocal areas of cutaneous depigmentation. The lesions appeared primarily around mucocutaneous junctions, but also included the nose, paw pads, and anus, and were present for approximately 8-12 months prior to presentation. Considerable scaling was also present, although there were no areas of overt hair loss or skin infection. Biopsies of the lesions revealed epitheliotropic lymphoma. Cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma is often misdiagnosed by veterinarians due to poor recognition of the various clinical presentations of the disease. Cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma can present as a variety of lesions including: depigmentation, ulcerative stomatitis, exfoliative disease, mucocutaneous disease, and a nodular or plaque form. A poor prognosis is often given for cutaneous lymphoma, but therapeutic treatment options are available. Some of these options include chemotherapeutics such as dacarbazine (DTIC) and lomustine (CCNU) as well as several combinations including both agents. Alternative therapies such as linoleate (safflower oil), retinoids, and topical treatments are also available