Abstract

One of the most important malignancies affecting dogs is the malignant lymphomas. Though histopathology, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry are used as golden standard tools for confirmation of lymphomas, cytological evaluation of the fine needle aspirate from the lymph nodes still remains as the most basic method for primary diagnosis. Considering the inimal invasiveness, low cost and minimal time taken by this procedure for reaching the diagnosis, cytological examination is the most accepted  method for preliminary diagnosis of lymphomas. Hence, the study was undertaken to characterize the different cytological features that help in differentiating neoplastic cells from lymphoid cells in various stages of development. Out of total twenty aspirates that were screened, fifteen were diagnosed as lymphomas. The present study helped in identifying many typical  cytological characteristics that can be used for grading canine lymphomas.

Keywords : Cytology, Malignancy, Grading, Lymphomas