Meet The Author
May 2026
Lauren Newsom DVM, DACVR
I am from a small town in Michigan. My parents are both retired science teachers, so my career path really isn't a surprise. I was a competitive high-level gymnast prior to attending vet school and I still enjoy being active. I have a young daughter, wonderful husband, and a perfect 20# mixed breed dog that I enjoy exploring the world with. I still enjoy learning and teaching every day!
Comparison of Computed Tomographic Features of Confirmed Nasal Neoplasia in Dogs
Kelley Van Scoyk, Stacie Summers, Stacy Cooley, Lauren Newsom
The Study Background
The author’s clinical experience attempting to determine the type of nasal neoplasia in dogs from CT images prompted this study idea. The authors had a clinical suspicion that destructive nasal masses that are centered on the maxillary bone (e.g. squamous cell carcinoma) had a different etiology than nasal masses centered in the nasal cavity (e.g. adenocarcinoma). Also, the degree of mineralization, location within the nasal cavity and other secondary findings were of interest.
What is the primary knowledge gap your study aims to address?
Whether any specific CT feature could predict a cytologic or histologic diagnosis of a nasal neoplasm in dogs.
The objectives of this study are (1) to compare CT features of confirmed epithelial and mesenchymal nasal tumors in dogs and (2) to determine if distinctive CT features exist between these different tumor types. Additionally, it aims to describe CT features of uncommon nasal tumors, including squamous cell carcinomas, nasal polyps, and osteosarcomas, which have limited representation in the literature.
The Study Design
The study design was a retrospective, single-center, cross-sectional study. Cases were included if the dog had a mass arising from the nasal cavity identified on head CT and a definitive diagnosis of benign or malignant neoplasia on histopathology of nasal tissue or cytology of a draining lymph node. A mass was defined as a soft-tissue, round-to-ovoid structure that caused regional destruction of the nasal conchae. Cases were excluded if the mass did not originate in the nasal cavity, frontal sinuses, or paranasal bones(e.g., oral cavity, skin).
What are the main study results?
Sixty-seven dogs with biopsy/cytology confirmed nasal neoplasia were identified over a 10 year period; 48 (72%) had a type of epithelial neoplasia, and 19 (28%) had mesenchymal neoplasia. Dogs with epithelial neoplasia were more likely to show intracranial mass extension, cribriform plate lysis, lysis of ipsilateral sphenoid sinus, and frontal sinus fluid than dogs with mesenchymal neoplasia. Squamous cell carcinoma patients had two distinct presentation patterns: either a small nodule centered on the nasal planum with no associated lysis or mass extension, or a mass centered on and causing lysis of the maxillary or nasal bone (rather than being centered on the nasal cavity).
Were there any unexpected results or challenges during your research?
Although small numbers, we consider a squamous cell carcinoma more strongly when the mass is centered on the paranasal bones, rather than being centered on the nasal cavity. If it is centered on the nasal cavity, 3/4 tumors will be an epithelial neoplasia. The presence of new mineralization in the mass does not help prioritize a specific tumor type.
Takeaways from this study
The main take-home message from the study is: both sequences perform well for the experienced eye, but investing some extra minutes running a post-contrast spin-echo fat-saturated T1W sequence might make the difference in detecting a subtle meningitis in cats affected by intracranial extension of otitis media-interna.
What future directions would you like to explore based on this study?
We'd like to gather enough squamous cell carcinomas (maybe a multicenter study?) to publish a case series.
