Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan features of fibrosarcoma injection-site tumors in cats
By Travetti, Olga et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2013·Department of Medical Imaging of Domestic Animals and Orthopedics of Small Animals·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Computed tomography characteristics of fibrosarcoma -- a histological subtype of feline injection-site sarcoma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 22 cats with fibrosarcoma, a type of cancer that can develop at injection sites, were studied to understand how these tumors appear on CT scans. Most of the tumors were found in the area between the shoulder blades and showed strong contrast on scans, indicating they were aggressive and invasive. The researchers found that adjusting the position of the cat's forelimbs during imaging helped better assess how the tumor affected surrounding tissues. This improved evaluation allowed for less invasive surgical options when removing the tumors.
People also search for: cat injection site tumor · feline fibrosarcoma treatment · cat cancer CT scan · signs of injection site sarcoma in cats
Abstract
Feline injection-site sarcoma (FISS) may be a consequence of subcutaneous injection. In the present study, the medical records and the computed tomography (CT) features of 22 cats with a FISS, histopathological subtype fibrosarcoma, were used. The majority of the fibrosarcomas (45%) were located in the interscapular region. All fibrosarcomas, except one with mild enhancement, showed strong contrast uptake, characterised as ring (42%), heterogeneous (36%), homogeneous (9%), heterogeneous/ring (6.5%) or mixed heterogeneous/homogeneous enhancement (6.5%). The longest axis of the mass was in a cranio-caudal (68%) or dorso-ventral (32%) direction. The median volume calculated on CT was 7.57 cm(3). Common features were a marked local invasiveness of the musculature and heterogeneity of the tissue in the periphery of the neoplasia. When the fibrosarcoma was interscapular, performing an additional post-contrast scan with the forelimbs positioned caudally along the body, in addition to the standard protocol with the forelimbs extended cranially, allowed better evaluation of the actual relationship between the tumour and the surrounding tissues. The mean number of muscles involved with the tumour was 2.09 with extended and 1.95 with flexed forelimbs. When a lower number of structures was considered infiltrated through the double positioning, a less invasive surgical approach to underlying muscles and scapula was performed.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23295271/