Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with rare acute leukemia causing fluid around the lungs
By Lim, Ga-Hyun et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2025·Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A rare case of acute erythroid leukemia (AML M6-Er) with pleural metastasis and malignant pleural effusion in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old Turkish Angora cat was brought to the vet because he was very tired and not eating. Tests showed he had severe anemia and fluid buildup in his chest, along with enlarged organs and lymph nodes, suggesting a serious illness. Despite receiving chemotherapy, his condition worsened, leading to breathing difficulties. Unfortunately, he had to be euthanized, and a post-mortem examination revealed that cancer cells had spread to his chest. This case highlights the importance of considering cancer spread in cats with similar symptoms.
People also search for: cat lethargy and not eating · Turkish Angora cat anemia treatment · cat pleural effusion causes
Abstract
An 11-year-old castrated male Turkish Angora cat presented with chronic lethargy and inappetence was diagnosed with non-regenerative anemia, increased nucleated red blood cells, and thrombocytopenia. Tests for anemia-related infections were negative. Imaging revealed pleural effusion, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and enlarged abdominal lymph nodes, raising suspicion of a round cell tumor in the spleen. His anemia and pleural effusion did not improve despite chemotherapy with cytarabine administration. Erythroid precursor cells were identified in the pleural fluid. His condition deteriorated, progressing to dyspnea and necessitating euthanasia. Necropsy findings revealed extensive infiltration of CD71-positive neoplastic cells and a myeloid-to-erythroid precursor ratio of 0.02, indicating pleural metastasis. Pleural metastasis should be considered a differential diagnosis in feline acute erythroid leukemia cases presenting with pleural effusion.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40254461/