Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Alimentary lymphoma in cats and dogs.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Gieger, Tracy
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
Plain-English summary
If your cat or dog has been showing signs of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, like vomiting or eating less than usual, it could be a sign of a condition called alimentary lymphoma, which is a type of cancer affecting the GI tract. To figure out what's going on, your veterinarian might run several tests, including blood work and imaging like X-rays or ultrasounds, to check for thickened intestinal walls or swollen lymph nodes. Depending on what they find, they may recommend more specific procedures to get tissue samples for a definitive diagnosis. Treatment typically involves chemotherapy, steroids, and special nutrition to help manage the condition. Overall, the effectiveness of the treatment can vary, but it is an important part of managing this serious illness.
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma should be suspected in animals with an acute or prolonged history of signs of disease related to the GI tract. Systemic staging tests (complete blood count/chemistry/urinalysis/thyroxin levels/thoracic radiographs) are used to identify concurrent disease. Abdominal ultrasonography is useful to document intestinal wall thickening, mass lesions, concurrent organ involvement, lymphadenopathy, and abdominal lymphadenopathy. Ultrasound findings can be used to decide if the next diagnostic test should be laparotomy, laparoscopy, or endoscopy, with the goal of obtaining diagnostic histologic specimens. Histopathologically, lymphoma may be lymphoblastic or lymphocytic. Chemotherapy, including steroids and nutritional support, are essential in the management of alimentary lymphoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21486644/