Vet Pathol 30:3, 1993 Brief Communications and Case Reports
References 5 Mayr B, Swidersky W, Schleger W: Translocation t(4;27)
Hampe JF, Misdorp W: IX, Tumors and dysplasias of
the mammary gland. Bull WHO 50: 111-133, 1974
2 Mayr B, Schleger W, Kalat M, Schweiger P, Reifinger M,
Eisenmenger E: Cytogenetic studies in a canine mammary
tumor. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 47:83-87, 1990
3 Mayr B, Schleger W, Swidersky W, Loupal G: Isochro-
mosomes 13 in a canine osteochondrosarcoma in the
mammary region. J Small Anim Pract 31:407, 1990
4 Mayr B, Schweizer D, Schleger W: Characterization of
the canine karyotype by counterstain enhanced chromo-
some banding. Can J Genet Cytol 25:616-621, 1983
Vet Patho1 30:313-314 (1993)
Complex Adnexal Tumor with Sebaceous and Apocrine Differentiation in a Guinea Pig
N. ALLISON AND
Key words: Guinea pigs; neoplasia; skin; tumor.
A 3-year-old female guinea pig was examined because of
a swelling in the right inguinal area that had been present for
several months. A 2.7- x 1.5-cm x 1.5-cm mass was sur-
gically excised. The mass was distinctly bilobed; the larger
lobe was pale and soft, and the smaller lobe was firm and
pink. The specimen was fixed in 10% neutral buffered for-
malin and processed routinely, and sections were embedded
in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.
Histologically, the mass was well circumscribed, nonen-
capsulated, and separated into two distinct lobes bordered
by compressed adipose tissue and loose connective tissue;
overlying skin was not present. The smaller of the two lobes
was composed of poorly to well-defined sebaceous glands
and tubular or ductal structures separated by a prominent
spindle cell component (Fig. I). Many ducts were dilated,
and a few were cystic. Small papillary projections extended
into the lumina of the cystic ducts. Most ofthe tubular/ductal
component was lined by a tightly packed inner layer of cu-
boidal to columnar epithelium, with eosinophilic cytoplasm
and occasional apical blebs. An inconspicuous outer layer of
slender to plump spindle cells, resembling myoepithelium,
surrounded the ducts and blended into the stroma. A few
ducts associated with sebaceous glands were lined by strat-
ified squamous epithelium. The stroma was highly cellular
(interpreted to be of myoepithelial origin) and consisted of
moderately pleomorphic cells with indistinct cytoplasmic
borders, pale eosinophilic cytoplasm, and ovoid to spindle-
shaped open-faced nuclei with blunt ends; some nuclei were
slightly twisted. A few areas of stroma had a loose myxoid
appearance (Fig. I). Mitotic figures were common in both
the glandular and stromal components but were more nu-
merous in the stroma. The larger lobe contained a few ran-
domly distributed sebaceous and tubular structures sur-
rounded by spindle cells (myoepithelium) that appeared to
313
in a canine mammary complex adenocarcinoma. Vet Rec
126:42, 1990
6 Selden JR, Moorhead PS, Oehlert ML, Patterson DF: The
Giemsa banding pattern of the canine karyotype. Cyto-
genet Cell Genet 15:380-387, 1975
7 Wang HC, Fedoroff S: Banding in human chromosomes
treated with trypsin. Nature New Bioi 235:52-54, 1972
Request reprints from Dr. B. Mayr, Institute for Animal
Breeding and Genetics, Veterinary University, Linke Bahn-
gasse 11, A-I 030 Vienna (Austria).
R. MOELLER, JR.
have differentiated into larger cells with pink cytoplasm, which
contained multiple discrete vacuoles. These cells blended in
with large adiposites that had distinct cytoplasmic borders,
colorless cytoplasm, and small dark crescentic to plump open-
faced ovoid nuclei (Fig. 2). Mitotic figures were rarely seen
in this lobe, and then only in the tubular component. The
neoplasm was judged to be benign because it was well cir-
cumscribed and the neoplastic cells were well differentiated.
This tumor was difficult to classify. It had many features
of a complex mammary tumor; however, mammary gland
neoplasms do not have a sebaceous component. According
to the World Health Organization classification of tumors,
complex tumors are composed ofboth secretory and myoepi-
thelial components.' This neoplasm contained both a secre-
tory component and myoepithelial component, with differ-
entiation of the myoepithelial component into adipocytes.
Therefore the diagnosis was benign, complex, adnexal tumor
with sebaceous and apocrine differentiation.
The most plausible explanation of the origin of this neo-
plasm is that it arose from an epithelial pleuropotential cell
that differentiated into sebaceous, apocrine, and myoepithe-
lial cell progenitors. Although this neoplasm could have been
classified as a complex mammary gland adenoma with en-
trapped sebaceous glands, this explanation is unlikely be-
cause the sebaceous glands were in the subcutis where such
glands are not normally found. Also, the compressive nature
of the mass suggests that if any ectopic sebaceous glands had
been present, the glands would have been pushed aside by
the expanding mass. Another explanation considered was
that one lobe of the mass represented a complex adnexal
tumor that had collided with a lipoma with entrapped se-
baceous and apocrine components. This explanation is also
unlikely. The close association of slender spindle cells, which
resembled those surrounding the apocrine component of the
314 Brief Communications and Case Reports Vet Pathol 30:3, 1993

Fig. 1. Skin tumor; guinea pig. Sebaceous (S) and ductal structures (arrows) surround a prominent spindle cell component
(asterisk) with myxoid area (M). HE.
Fig. 2. Skin tumor; guinea pig. Cells with pink cytoplasm containing mlutiple discrete vacuoles of various sizes (arrow-
head) lie adjacent to other cells with distinct cytoplasmic borders, colorless cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei (A). HE.

mass (myoepithelium), plumper cells, which contained pink
cytoplasm with multiple discrete vacuoles of various sizes,
and large adipocytes, with clear cytoplasm and eccentric nu-
clei, suggests that these cells were of a common origin. Elec-
tron microscopic examination and immunohistochemical
studies may have been useful in further elucidating the iden-
tity and relationship of the different cell populations, but
sufficient tissue of acceptable quality was not available for
such studies.
A search of the literature failed to identify any neoplasms
with similar characteristics in other animals. In human be-
ings, a neoplasm with both apocrine and sebaceous glands
and a myoepithelial component has been described. How-
ever, this neoplasm also had a prominent epidermal com-
ponent ofacanthosis and papillomatosis, which was not pres-
ent in the tumor from this guinea pig.'?
Tumors of the epidermis and adnexa have been infre-
quently reported in the guinea pig. Trichofolliculoma is the
most common skin tumor of this species. 1,2,9,11 Trichoepi-
thelioma has also been reported in the guinea pig.4 However,
these neoplasms were described as having abortive adnexal
structures in the wall of cysts lined by stratified squamous
epithelium," which are features oftrichofolliculoma. 4- 8 , 1 1 This
is the first reported case of a complex adnexal tumor in the
guinea pig.
Acknowledgement
We thank Dr. G. McGrath for submitting the case to us.
References
Ediger RD, Dill GS, Kovatch RM: Trichofolliculoma
of the guinea pig. J Natl Cancer Inst 46:517-523, 1971
2 Ediger RD, Kovatch RM: Spontaneous tumors in the
Dunkin-Hartley guinea pig. Ann Natl Cancer Inst 56:
293-294, 1976
3 Hampe JF, Misdorp W: Tumors and dysplasias of the
mammary gland. Bull WHO 50: 111-133, 1974
4 Kitchen DN, Carlton WW, Bickford AA: A report of
fourteen spontaneous tumors of the guinea pig. Lab Anim
Sci 25:92-102, 1975
5 Lever WF, Schaumburg-Lever G: Histopathology ofthe
Skin, 6th ed., p. 524. JB Lippincott Co, Philadelphia,
PA, 1983
6 Lombard C: La cancero-resistance du cobaye. Bull Assoc
FrEtudeCancer47:167-171,1961
7 Mosinger M: Sur 1a carcinoresistance du cobaye. Pre-
miere partie. Les tumeurs spontanees du cobaye. Bull
Assoc Fr Etude Cancer 47:217-235, 1961
8 Murray JA: A transplantable sarcoma of the guinea pig.
J Pathol Bacterio1 20:260-268, 1916
9 Tuck E, Tuck K: Trichofolliculorn beim Meer-
schweinchen. Kleintierpraxis 24:237-238, 1979
10 Wechsler HL, Fisher ER: A combined polymorphic epi-
dermal and adnexal tumor in nevus lateralis. Derma-
tologica (Basel) 130:158-164,1964
11 Zwart P, Van de Hage MH, Mullink JWMA, Cooper JE:
Cutaneous tumours in the guinea pig. Lab Anim 15:375-
377, 1981
Request reprints from Dr. N. Allison, Virginia Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Pathology Reference
Laboratory, Room 162, 1 North 14th Street, Richmond, VA
23219 (USA).