Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with extra toes and pale skin diagnosed with eye-area skin cancer
By Arellano-García, María Evarista et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2020·Laboratorio de Genotoxicologí, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Genetic Instability of a Polydactyl Hypopigmented Cat With Squamous Cell Carcinoma-A Case Report.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old male Mexican cat with extra toes and light-colored fur was brought to the vet because of a concerning lesion near his eye. After a thorough examination and tests, including a biopsy, the vet diagnosed him with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. The tests also revealed a high level of genomic instability in his red blood cells, which may indicate a higher risk for certain health issues. Treatment options for squamous cell carcinoma can vary, so it's important for pet owners to discuss the best approach with their veterinarian.
People also search for: cat eye lesion · squamous cell carcinoma in cats · polydactyl cat health issues
Abstract
Polydactyly, hypopigmentation, and squamous cell carcinoma are common in cats. However, a cat exhibiting all of these conditions has not yet been reported. This study presents the case of a 14- year-old male Mexican cat, hypopigmented, with supernumerary fingers, two preaxial and one on each posterior limb, admitted to the clinic with a lesion in the left periocular region. The cat was subjected to a general physical examination, blood, and urine chemistry, as well as a biopsy and genomic instability assessment with an analysis of the red blood cells (RBC) micronucleated erythrocytes (RBC-MNE) in the peripheral blood. The biopsy was positive for squamous cell carcinoma, and the RBC-MNE count (8.6 MNE/1000 erythrocytes) was high compared to that previously described in other domestic cats or wild cats. Thus, the genomic instability of the RBC-MNE could be used as an indicator to identify clinical conditions of felines, particularly those with one of the characteristics exhibited by this Mexican cat. The RBC-MNE test is the most widely used in the world for the evaluation of DNA damage, but to our knowledge, it has not been used to identify vulnerable non-human specimens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32528983/