Spontaneous oronasal ejection of neoplastic and non-neoplastic nodules by 21 dogs, 2000–2024

Spontaneous ejection of tissues from body orifices is rare in veterinary medicine. Here we underscore the diagnostic value of tissues spontaneously ejected from the nose or mouth of 21 dogs and submitted for histologic evaluation at 3 veterinary diagnostic institutions. Cases were retrospectively searched (2000-2024) from the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory, and Antech Diagnostics web-based archive systems. Affected dogs were adults (x̄ age = 9.5 y) of several breeds. There were 13 male (8 castrated, 5 intact) and 8 spayed female dogs. Clinical signs consisted mainly of sneezing (19 of 21 cases) and epistaxis (11 cases), with spontaneous ejection of red-to-brown and fleshy-or-spongy nodules from the nose (19 cases) or mouth (2). Histologically, lesions consisted of neoplasms (19 cases) or clusters of fibrinous or suppurative exudate with hemorrhage (2). Epithelial neoplasms consisted of carcinomas and adenocarcinomas (3 cases each), and squamous cell carcinoma and a presumed adenoma (1 case each). Mesenchymal neoplasms consisted of spindle-cell sarcomas (4 cases), presumed osteosarcomas (2), and a chondrosarcoma and a chondrosarcoma/chondroblastic osteosarcoma (1 case each). Round-cell neoplasms included a B-cell lymphoma, a presumed lymphoma, and a plasmacytoma (1 case each). The presence of nasal mucosa and turbinates was supportive of nasal tumor in 4 cases. Although the anatomic origin of neoplasms cannot be determined in all cases, tissues ejected from the nose or mouth can be suitable for a histologic diagnosis.