Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pericardial lymphoma causing breathing trouble in seven cats
By Amati, Maria et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2014·Veterinary Hospital of the City of Pavia, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pericardial lymphoma in seven cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Seven cats were diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called pericardial lymphoma, which affected the lining around their hearts. Owners noticed symptoms like poor body condition, dehydration, and breathing difficulties. Diagnostic imaging showed fluid around the lungs and thickening of the heart lining. While four cats did not receive treatment, one cat was given prednisone and two received chemotherapy. Most of the cats lived only a week or so after diagnosis, but one cat that underwent a multi-drug chemotherapy protocol was still alive 750 days later.
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Abstract
A presumed primary pericardial lymphoma was diagnosed in seven cats. Clinical findings at presentation included poor body condition, dehydration and dyspnoea. Thoracic diagnostic imaging was performed in six cases and revealed pleural effusion and a diffuse thickening of the pericardium. A cytological diagnosis of lymphoma was obtained in six cases; in four cases the diagnosis was confirmed at necropsy. Immunophenotyping was performed in six cases: three cases were classified as T-cell and three as B-cell lymphoma. Four cats did not receive any treatment. One cat received only prednisone and two cats received chemotherapy. Six cats lived 7-11 days, except for one cat that received a multi-drug chemotherapy protocol and was still alive at the time of writing (750 days after diagnosis). Primary pericardial lymphoma is a rare extranodal feline lymphoma that has never been described previously.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24108202/