SUNY Geneseo

Lymphoplasmacytic oral mucosal inflammation (stomatitis) in canine patients is common and non-specific. Contact lesions (CL) secondary to periodontal disease are particularly common. Dogs with CL may or may not have canine chronic ulcerative stomatitis (CCUS), yet clinicians are often faced with making treatment decisions without a clear diagnosis. Some may expect canine patients to be treated similarly to feline chronic gingivostomatitis patients, for whom partial- to full-mouth extractions remain the primary intervention. Because this assumption may lead to inappropriate care, clear recommendations for surgical management are needed for canine patients. This retrospective review (2012–2022) evaluated 42 dogs with lymphoplasmacytic stomatitis treated surgically at a dental specialty service. We hypothesized that only a minority of these patients require full-mouth exodontia. Patients were initially stratified as CL or CCUS based on lesion distribution and radiographic findings and reclassified based on treatment response. Clinical outcomes were categorized as complete, partial, or absent response to treatment(s), including COHAT, salvage exodontia, rescue medical management, chronic immunosuppression, and home oral hygiene. Associations between demographic and clinical variables with surgical and clinical endpoints were evaluated using descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses. Small breeds (median 5.4 kg) predominated and were significantly more likely to reach edentulism for any reason. Buccal lesions adjacent to maxillary canine and fourth premolar teeth were most common, but over 60% of cases had mucosal changes beyond the classic paradental lesions. Ultimately, 31% were confirmed as CL and 50% as CCUS. Only 24% underwent salvage exodontia, and 17% were rendered edentulous for mucosal disease management. Achieving edentulism was more common in CL cases (54%) compared to CCUS cases (33%). Most dogs (81%) achieved complete resolution, primarily through treatment of periodontal disease (62%). CL cases showed high response rates to periodontal therapy (83%), while a subset of CCUS patients underwent salvage exodontia (20%) or immunosuppression (5%). The majority of dogs with lymphoplasmacytic stomatitis, including many diagnosed as CCUS, respond to periodontal disease management without full-mouth extractions. These findings support a conservative, staged treatment approach and underscore the need for standardized diagnostic criteria in canine oral inflammatory disease.

Odontomas are rare, benign odontogenic tumors in dogs, cats, humans, and other species. Although odontomas have been referenced as occurring in dogs and cats, there are no publications pertaining to odontomas in cats. This case series of nine odontomas in eight cats includes description of clinical presentations, diagnostic imaging findings, histopathologic characteristics, and treatment outcomes. Common clinical presentations in this study include missing teeth, tooth displacement, presence of a fluctuant mass, and alveolar bone expansion. Diagnostic imaging reveals a mixed radiodense central opacity containing radiopaque tooth-like structures and a variably thick radiolucent rim, consistent with compound odontomas. However, one mature odontoma in an older patient had fusion of the denticles that complicated visualization of discrete denticles radiographically. Three lesions contained unerupted teeth and two had unilocular radiolucencies consistent with cyst formation. Although radiographic findings are often highly diagnostic for odontomas, it is recommended to send an oral biopsy of the lesion to a histopathologist who has a focus on oral and maxillofacial pathology for confirmation of the diagnosis. Common treatments include either surgical en bloc resection or enucleation and curettage. In this study, both treatment types were curative and there was no documented recurrence in the cats for whom follow-up was available.

Cats with refractory feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) exhibit chronic oral inflammation despite surgical and medical therapy. Such areas may resemble or be at higher risk for oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Without routine biopsies, occult SCC may remain undiagnosed. This study investigated the prevalence and potential association of oral SCC occurrence in cats with refractory FCGS. A retrospective review of cats with refractory FCGS and oral SCC from two veterinary teaching hospitals (2014-2024) was conducted. Cases with histopathologically confirmed FCGS, SCC, or both were included. Data analyzed included signalment, medical history, treatment, clinical findings, and diagnostics. Two hundred twenty-one cats with refractory FCGS and 24 cats with oral SCC at the first institution, and 32 cats with refractory FCGS and 16 cats with oral SCC at the second institution, were presented over a 10-year period. Only four cats from both institutions had co-occurrence of FCGS and oral SCC. All affected cats exhibited bilateral proliferative FCGS lesions in the caudal oral cavity and developed SCC within 16-29 months (mean: 22 months). Two of four cats had epithelial dysplasia at FCGS diagnosis. SCC occurrence was significantly, inversely associated with FCGS at one institution (0.9%, ρ = -0.1424, p-value = 0.00035) but not the other (5.88%, ρ = 0.0495, p-value = 0.1947). Co-occurrence of FCGS and SCC is rare. While SCC may develop in proliferative FCGS areas, the low occurrence does not establish FCGS as a predisposing factor for SCC.