Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with kidney lymphoma showing limb weakness from nerve damage
By Cavana, Paola et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2009·Department of Animal Pathology, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Peripheral neuropathy in a cat with renal lymphoma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old male cat was brought to the vet because he was getting weaker in his legs over the past two weeks. The vet found that he had muscle loss and enlarged kidneys, and he struggled to walk, jump, or go upstairs. Tests showed he had a type of kidney cancer called renal lymphoma, which was likely causing a nerve problem known as peripheral neuropathy. Unfortunately, this condition is serious, but the cat received supportive care.
People also search for: cat weakness in legs · cat kidney cancer symptoms · cat peripheral neuropathy treatment
Abstract
A 12-year-old male cat was referred for progressive limb weakness lasting 2 weeks. Physical examination detected muscle atrophy and bilateral renomegaly with distortion of the renal contours. The cat was ambulatory but tetraparetic. It showed a peculiar posture on forelimbs with bilateral flexion of the carpi and extrarotation of forearms. The cat was unable to go upstairs or jump. Neurological examination showed findings compatible with peripheral nervous system involvement. Histopathological findings revealed a high grade non-B, non-T cell renal lymphoma and peripheral neuropathy characterised by demyelination, axonal degeneration and muscle denervation. In the absence of congenital, metabolic and infectious diseases or exposure to toxins, a paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathy was hypothesised. In humans and dogs, paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathies have been documented with different neoplastic processes including lymphoproliferative disorders. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of suspected paraneoplastic polyneuropathy in a cat with malignant tumour.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19464217/