Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan shows lung tumors mostly in back lobes of 57 cats
By Aarsvold, Stacie et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2015·ASEC·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomographic findings in 57 cats with primary pulmonary neoplasia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 57 cats with lung tumors showed common symptoms like loss of appetite and coughing. Most of the tumors were found in the lower parts of the lungs, with many appearing as masses on CT scans. The majority of these tumors were adenocarcinomas, a type of cancer, and some cats also had signs of metastasis, or spreading of the disease. Unfortunately, primary lung tumors in cats often have a poor prognosis, and treatment options may be limited.
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Abstract
Primary pulmonary neoplasia is relatively uncommon in cats and generally has a poor prognosis. In this multicenter, retrospective study of 57 cats with pulmonary neoplasia, the most frequent presenting signs were anorexia/inappetence (39%) and cough (37%). The pulmonary tumors were considered to be incidental findings in 9% cats. In computed tomographic (CT) images, primary pulmonary tumors appeared as a pulmonary mass in 55 (96%) cats and as a disseminated pulmonary lesion without a defined mass in two (4%) cats. Most pulmonary tumors were in the caudal lobes, with 28 (49%) in the right caudal lobe and 17 (30%) in the left caudal lobe. CT features associated with pulmonary tumors included mass in contact with visceral pleura (96%), irregular margins (83%), well-defined borders (79%), bronchial compression (74%), gas-containing cavities (63%), foci of mineral attenuation (56%), and bronchial invasion (19%). The mean (range) maximal dimension of the pulmonary masses was 3.5 cm (1.1-11.5 cm). Additional foci of pulmonary disease compatible with metastasis were observed in 53% cats. Pleural fluid was evident in 30% cats and pulmonary thrombosis in 12% cats. The histologic diagnoses were 47 (82%) adenocarcinomas, six (11%) tumors of bronchial origin, three (5%) adenosquamous cell carcinomas, and one (2%) squamous cell carcinoma. In this series, adenocarcinoma was the predominant tumor type, but shared many features with less common tumor types. No associations were identified between tumor type and CT features. Prevalence of suspected intrapulmonary metastasis was higher than in previous radiographic studies of cats with lung tumors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25605501/