• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1766-1770
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• 2007

We describe here a case of malignant mixed osteogenic tumor of the mammary gland with alveolar carcinomatous appreance. A firm, 2 to 2.5cm (in diameter) mass under the 5th nipple, showing the structure of extraosseous osteogenic sarcoma, was removed from the left 5th mammary gland of 12-year-old female dog. When investigated under the microscope, the osteoid material undergoing mineralization was surrounded by numerous scattered osteoblasts and a few osteoclastic cells throughout the osteoid tumorous stroma. The osteoid lesions were continuous with hypercellular myoepithelial cells of a very immature character with several mitotic figures. In addition, there were also carcinomatous tubules and alveoli, with invading cells into peripheral stroma, surrounded by myoepithelial cells in the mammary gland. In these lesions, emanating cords of tumor cells appear to be continuous with the myoepithelial cell layer of a duct. The presence of all these cell types suggests the existence of a common malignant origin, the stem cell being differentiated into epithelial carcinomatous and mesenchymal sarcomatous chondral and osteogenic tissues.