Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with heart tumor causing breathing trouble and loss of appetite
By Venco, L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2001·Veterinary Hospital Città, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Primary cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet because she wasn't eating and was having trouble breathing. X-rays and an ultrasound of her heart revealed a large mass in the wall of her heart, which was causing fluid buildup around her heart and lungs. Unfortunately, after she passed away, a thorough examination confirmed that the mass was a type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. This case is significant as it's the first known instance of this specific heart cancer in a cat.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · cat not eating · heart cancer in cats · rhabdomyosarcoma in cats
Abstract
A seven-year-old domestic shorthair (DSH) cat was presented with anorexia and dyspnea. Pleural-pericardial effusion was detected with thoracic radiographs and echocardiography. Echocardiography demonstrated a large, soft-tissue mass in the right ventricular wall, protruding both into the pericardial space and into the right ventricle. Postmortem examination findings included a large mass in the right ventricular wall and multiple smaller masses on the external surface of the left ventricle and on the internal surface of the pericardium. Results of the histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations of the masses were consistent with rhabdomyosarcoma. This is the first reported case of primary cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma in the cat.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11300523/