Epidemiology of Canine Cutaneous Histiocytoma: Insights From Age and Topographic Clustering.

CCH shows age-dependent breed predilections and site clustering; French bulldogs and Boxers at highest risk.

This epidemiological study analyzed 359 histopathologically-confirmed canine cutaneous histiocytomas (CCH) from a Portuguese veterinary laboratory (2020-2022) to characterize incidence rates and identify age, breed, and anatomical site patterns. The research employed Gaussian mixture modeling for age clustering and hierarchical clustering analysis for breed-site associations. Key findings revealed that CCH predominantly affected young dogs (48.8% ≤2 years) with male predominance (58.5%). Three distinct age bands were identified (≤1.5, 1.5-3.5, >3.5 years) with differing breed and site distributions. Breed-specific analysis demonstrated significantly elevated risk in French bulldogs (RR 11.5; IR 34.1 per 10,000 dogs) and Boxers (RR 8.3; IR 24.5 per 10,000 dogs) compared to mixed-breed controls. The annual incidence in the Lisbon-Setúbal region was 4.0 per 10,000 dogs (3.5 females, 4.4 males). Importantly, breed-site clustering revealed recurring anatomical predilections specific to breed and sex. These findings establish clear epidemiological patterns that can guide clinical recognition, prognostication, and future research focusing on inflammation-mediated spontaneous regression mechanisms in this benign neoplasm.

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