Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with neck lumps that looked like thyroid problems
By Tolbert, Katherine et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2009·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dermoid cysts presenting as enlarged thyroid glands in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old spayed female cat was brought to the vet for what seemed like hyperthyroidism, as she had enlarged masses near her thyroid glands. Tests showed that her thyroid hormone levels were normal, but a fine-needle aspirate suggested the masses might be tumors. After further examination, the masses were identified as dermoid cysts, which are non-cancerous growths. The vet surgically removed the cysts, and the cat recovered well without any complications. No additional treatment was needed after the surgery.
People also search for: cat thyroid mass · cat neck lump · cat dermoid cyst treatment · hyperthyroidism symptoms in cats · cat surgery recovery time
Abstract
A 5-year-old spayed female cat was evaluated for hyperthyroidism based on an elevated free thyroxine (T(4)) measurement and bilaterally enlarged symmetric subcutaneous masses in the area of the thyroid glands. Physical examination revealed bilateral subcutaneous masses on either side of the cervical trachea. Blood was obtained for serum biochemical profile and thyroid function analysis. Mild hyperalbuminemia, mild hypercalcemia, and mildly increased alanine aminotransferase activity were identified. Serum concentrations of total and free thyroxine were within the reference interval. Cytologic analysis of fine-needle aspirates from one of the masses was suspicious for neoplasia. Nuclear scintigraphy revealed no abnormalities. Surgically obtained excisional biopsies of both masses were submitted for histopathology and diagnosed as bilateral dermoid cysts. After excisional biopsy, the patient recovered without incident. The histopathologic diagnosis of completely excised bilateral dermoid cysts indicated that no further medical or surgical intervention was required. This is the first report of a cat presenting with bilateral dermoid cysts in the area of the thyroid glands. Histopathologic examination was necessary to make a definitive diagnosis. Practitioners should include cysts in their list of differential diagnoses for ventral neck masses in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19560384/