Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with nose tumor diagnosed as Merkel cell carcinoma
By Bagnasco, Giorgio et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2003·Department of Surgery, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma (Merkel cell tumour): clinical and pathological findings.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female cat developed a round, hairless, reddish bump on her nose, which was diagnosed as a Merkel cell tumor, a type of skin cancer. The veterinarian performed surgery to remove the tumor along with some surrounding cartilage. Thankfully, after two years of follow-up, there were no signs of the cancer returning or spreading. This case suggests that early detection and complete surgical removal can be key in managing this type of tumor in cats.
People also search for: cat nose tumor treatment · Merkel cell tumor in cats · cat skin cancer surgery · why does my cat have a bump on her nose
Abstract
A case of a feline Merkel cell tumour is described. An 8-year-old, female cat developed a round, alopecic, reddish mass on the nose. Wide excisional surgery was performed with cartilage resection. Histologically the mass was composed of solid islands of mostly basophilic densely packed cells with a scant cytoplasm, which was suggestive of a neuroendocrine origin. Results of immunohistochemical studies using antibodies against neurone-specific enolase, chromogranin, synaptophysin and pan-cytokeratin allowed classification of the lesion as a Merkel cell tumour. Ultrastructurally, dense core granules were identified in the cytoplasm. In a 2-year follow-up no relapses or metastases were observed. The clinical course recorded is in contrast with the malignant nature of a Merkel cell tumour recently described in a cat and of the human Merkel cell tumour, but is similar to the course of the canine Merkel cell tumour which is often benign. Early diagnosis along with the use of wide surgical excision might be considered an important factor in preventing relapse of this tumour.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12662269/