Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound signs of kidney tumors in 187 cats
By Cordella, Alessia et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2026·Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ultrasonographic features of feline renal neoplasia: a retrospective study on 187 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed with kidney cancer after showing signs of weight loss and decreased appetite. An ultrasound revealed a mass in one of the kidneys, which was identified as lymphoma, the most common type of kidney cancer in cats. The veterinarian recommended chemotherapy, which helped reduce the size of the tumor and improved the cat's overall health. After treatment, the cat regained its appetite and energy, showing a positive response to the therapy.
People also search for: cat kidney cancer symptoms · lymphoma in cats treatment · ultrasound for cat kidney problems
Abstract
ObjectivesUltrasonography plays a crucial role in diagnosing feline renal diseases, including neoplasia. The aims of this study were to describe ultrasonographic features of renal neoplasia in cats and to investigate potential differences between tumor types.MethodsIn this multicenter retrospective study, ultrasonographic images of feline kidneys with cytologically/histologically confirmed renal neoplasia were reviewed. For each kidney, ultrasonographic characteristics (renal length, presence and appearance of a mass, nodules, hypoechoic subcapsular rim, pelvic distension, retroperitoneal effusion) were recorded and compared for each tumor type.ResultsA total of 187 cats (373 kidneys) were included. Tumor types were lymphoma (n = 118, 63%), carcinoma (n = 53, 28.5%), sarcoma (n = 10, 5%), adenoma (n = 3, 2%), histiocytic sarcoma (n = 2, 1%) and nephroblastoma (n = 1, 0.5%). Bilateral disease (<0.001) and other organ involvement ( = 0.026) were more frequent in lymphoma. A single mass was more frequent in carcinoma (<0.001). Masses were more frequently hypoechoic in lymphoma (81%) and sarcoma (86%) than in carcinoma (40%) ( = 0.001). In kidneys with masses, a hypoechoic subcapsular rim was more frequent in lymphoma ( = 0.004). In kidneys without mass lesions, kidneys with lymphoma (mean size 51.3 ± 9.8 mm) were significantly larger ( = 0.02) than those with carcinoma (mean size 46.1 ± 6.4 mm) and sarcoma (mean size 42.8 ± 8.9 mm).Conclusions and relevanceLymphoma was the most common renal neoplasia, followed by carcinoma. Some ultrasonographic features, including bilateral involvement, single masses, multiple nodules, hypoechoic subcapsular rim and severity of nephromegaly, can help differentiate feline renal tumor types.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41775677/