Mather H, McCowan C, Munday J S, Stanley R G
Animal Eye Care, Malvern East, Australia.
Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Australia.
N Z Vet J. 2025 May;73(3):204-211. doi: 10.1080/00480169.2025.2456238. Epub 2025 Feb 11.
A 9-year-old, spayed, female Golden Retriever presented with an 18-month history of small spots of opacification on the left cornea, a 3-4-month history of a raised spot on the left cornea, and a watery left eye. As a puppy, the dog had sustained an injury to the left cornea. Self-limiting, presumed papillomaviral warts were diagnosed on the face when the dog was 8 months old.
A full ophthalmic examination revealed a well-circumscribed, pigmented, raised mass immediately adjacent to three smaller pink masses on the left cornea. The corneal tumour was resected by superficial keratectomy. The cornea was treated with topical peginterferon alfa-2a drops post-operatively.
The mass was histologically diagnosed as an incompletely excised corneal pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC) displaying both exophytic growth and superficial stromal invasive characteristics and fine granular brown melanin pigment within the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells. Superficial cells showed evidence of papillomavirus-induced cell changes including enlarged cells with blue-grey cytoplasm and darkly basophilic keratohyalin granules. Canine papillomavirus type 17 (CPV17) DNA sequences were amplified from the carcinoma by PCR using consensus papillomavirus primers.
Primary corneal pigmented squamous cell carcinoma with concurrent canine papillomavirus type 17 infection.
Tumour recurrence was observed 2 years 9 months after surgery. Topical peginterferon alfa-2a drops were recommenced and superficial keratectomy surgery was repeated with concurrent adjunctive strontium 90 plesiotherapy. At the time of writing, the left cornea has healed well with mild fibrosis and vascularisation continuing to reduce.
This is the first report of a pSCC of the cornea in any veterinary species. Prominent papillomaviral cytopathology was visible in the corneal pSCC, and PCR confirmed the presence of CPV17.This report expands the differential diagnoses for pigmented corneal masses in dogs. It highlights the importance of obtaining a histopathological diagnosis for pigmented corneal lesions, as the clinical disease course, prognosis and treatment options vary between lesions of different aetiologies. Corneal SCC is locally invasive and can recur without complete excision. Early surgical intervention with clean margins can be curative and restore corneal clarity, vision and patient comfort.
一只9岁已绝育的雌性金毛猎犬，左眼角膜有18个月的小片状浑浊病史，左眼角膜有一个隆起斑点3 - 4个月的病史，以及左眼流泪。这只狗幼犬时期左眼角膜受过伤。8个月大时面部被诊断为自限性、推测为乳头瘤病毒引起的疣。
全面的眼科检查发现左眼角膜上有一个边界清晰、色素沉着、隆起的肿块，紧邻三个较小的粉红色肿块。通过浅层角膜切除术切除角膜肿瘤。术后用局部聚乙二醇干扰素α - 2a滴眼液治疗角膜。
该肿块经组织学诊断为切除不完全的角膜色素性鳞状细胞癌（pSCC），具有外生性生长和浅层基质浸润特征，肿瘤细胞胞质内有细颗粒状棕色黑色素。浅层细胞显示乳头瘤病毒诱导的细胞变化迹象，包括细胞增大，胞质呈蓝灰色，有嗜碱性深染的透明角质颗粒。使用乳头瘤病毒通用引物通过PCR从癌组织中扩增出犬乳头瘤病毒17型（CPV17）的DNA序列。
原发性角膜色素性鳞状细胞癌并发犬乳头瘤病毒17型感染。
术后2年9个月观察到肿瘤复发。重新开始使用局部聚乙二醇干扰素α - 2a滴眼液，并再次进行浅层角膜切除术，同时辅助进行锶90近距离放射治疗。在撰写本文时，左眼角膜愈合良好，轻度纤维化和血管化持续减轻。
这是任何兽医物种中角膜pSCC的首例报告。在角膜pSCC中可见明显的乳头瘤病毒细胞病理学特征，PCR证实存在CPV17。本报告扩展了犬色素性角膜肿块的鉴别诊断。它强调了对色素性角膜病变进行组织病理学诊断的重要性，因为不同病因的病变临床病程、预后和治疗选择各不相同。角膜鳞状细胞癌具有局部侵袭性，不完全切除会复发。早期进行切缘清晰的手术干预可治愈并恢复角膜透明度、视力和患者舒适度。
