Wright's stain, 100x

Wright's stain, 500x

Mast Cell Tumours

Mastocytes are cells which characteristically possess a round nucleus and a cytoplasm that is filled with violet granules. Mastocytomas are often associated with an infiltration of inflammatory cells which can contain neutrophils and sometimes eosinophils.  When a mastocytoma is diagnosed from cytology and aggressive excision of the tumour, with wide margins is indicated and the tumour should be submitted for histopathology to determine its grade and evaluate if the excision was adequate. It is also important to evaluate local lymphatic ganglia and pulmonary radiographs in order to check for the presence of metastases before deciding if the patient is a surgical candidate.