Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Synovial cysts and myxomas in older cats' elbow joints
By Craig, Linden E et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2020·University of Tennessee, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Synovial Cysts and Myxomas in 16 Cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old cat was found to have a fluid-filled cyst in its elbow joint, which is a common area for these types of lesions. The cysts were linked to degenerative joint disease, a condition that can cause joint pain and stiffness. Over time, the cysts in the affected cats tended to grow larger, but none of the cats had to be put down or died because of these lesions. This suggests that while the cysts can be a concern, they are not typically life-threatening.
People also search for: cat elbow cyst treatment · why is my cat limping · cat joint disease symptoms
Abstract
This report describes the clinical and pathologic characteristics of cystic and myxomatous lesions of synovial joints in 16 cats. The average age was 13.4 years. The elbow was most commonly affected (12/16), and all lesions were unilateral. Degenerative joint disease was a frequent concurrent but bilateral condition. The lesions consisted of fluid-filled cysts lined by synoviocytes (3 cases), solid foci of stellate cells in a myxomatous matrix (2 cases), or a combination of the two (11 cases). In some cases there were areas of transition between the cystic and myxomatous lesions. Mitoses and other features of malignancy were rare to nonexistent. In the 13 cats with follow-up information, the lesion gradually increased in size over a period of years. None of the cats died or were euthanized because of this lesion. We propose that some cats with degenerative joint disease develop synovial cysts, which have the potential to transform to a synovial myxoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32436816/