Xanthogranulomatous mastitis in a female dog

Abstract

Xanthogranulomatous mastitis (MXG) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition of the breast. In women, it raises concern and requires a biopsy due to the clinical-radiological similarity with breast neoplasia. The definitive diagnosis is given through histopathological examination. In canine females, chronic benign non-neoplastic lesions in the mammary glands are not frequently described, such as MXG. The objective of this work is to describe the clinicopathological findings of a case of xanthogranulomatous mastitis in a female canine. The case occurred in a female Pinscher breed, 8 years old, not castrated, who presented irregular heat, in addition to a history of galactorrhea and treatment with antigalactogenic drugs. The physical examination revealed the presence of a nodule in the left mammary chain, affecting the caudal thoracic mammary gland (M2E). Due to the fear that it was a malignant neoplasm, the treatment was a radical mastectomy of the left mammary chain, followed by an anatomopathological examination of all glands. Histologically, the M2E nodule was made up of cracks and cholesterol crystals associated with the presence of numerous lipid-laden macrophages and multinucleated giant cells, characterizing it as xanthogranulomatous mastitis.