Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thrombocytosis in cats - what it means and causes
By Howard, Leigh A et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2023·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Thrombocytosis in 158 cats (2011-2018).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 158 cats with high platelet counts (thrombocytosis) were studied to understand the underlying health issues causing this condition. The most common problems found were gastrointestinal diseases and certain types of cancer, particularly lymphoma. Cats with thrombocytosis were more likely to have these serious conditions compared to a control group of cats with normal platelet counts. The study highlighted that thrombocytosis in cats is often linked to significant health concerns, especially related to the digestive system and cancers.
People also search for: cat high platelet count causes · cat lymphoma symptoms · cat gastrointestinal disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Thrombocytosis is an uncommon hematologic abnormality that is associated with various physiologic, metabolic, inflammatory and neoplastic conditions in people and dogs. Thrombocytosis is not a well-described abnormality in cats. The objective of this study was to classify thrombocytosis in cats based on underlying disease processes and severity, and to compare this with a control population of cats. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of cats with increased (600 × 10/µl; thrombocytosis group) and normal (200-600 × 10/µl; 2:1 age-matched control group) platelet counts between 2011 and 2018. Platelet counts were estimated based on blood smear assessment in all cats. Cats were classified by the severity (mild, moderate or marked) of thrombocytosis. Diagnoses were recorded for all cases, and were classified broadly into either neoplasia, endocrine or inflammatory disease. RESULTS: In total, 158 cats were identified with thrombocytosis, with 315 cats in the control group. Non-neoplastic inflammatory disease was the most common diagnosis in both groups (54.4% in cats with thrombocytosis and 56.2% in controls; = 0.77); however, gastrointestinal diseases were more common in cats with thrombocytosis (75.6%) when compared with controls (34.5%;<0.0001). Neoplasia was diagnosed more frequently in cats with thrombocytosis (44.3%) compared with the control group (25.4%;<0.0001). Round cell tumor was the most common neoplasia diagnosis in both groups, but gastrointestinal and multicentric lymphoma were diagnosed more frequently in cats with thrombocytosis compared with control cats. No association between the severity of thrombocytosis and etiology was identified. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Thrombocytosis in cats is more commonly associated with gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary or immune-mediated diseases when compared with a control population. Neoplasia, especially multicentric and gastrointestinal lymphoma, was more commonly diagnosed in cats with thrombocytosis when compared with control cats.
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/37470518/