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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Ultrasound features of intestinal mast cell tumors in older cats

By Laurenson, Michele P et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2011·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Ultrasonography of intestinal mast cell tumors in the cat.

Species:
cat
LymphomaStomach & digestionCats

Plain-English summary

A 13-year-old cat was diagnosed with intestinal mast cell tumors after showing signs of gastrointestinal issues. Ultrasound imaging revealed multiple tumors in the intestines, with some causing thickening of the intestinal walls. Additionally, several cats had enlarged lymph nodes, indicating that the cancer had spread in some cases. Unfortunately, the tumors can be aggressive, and some cats also had concurrent lymphoma. Treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, or supportive care, depending on the individual case and extent of the disease.

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Abstract

The sonographic features of intestinal mast cell tumors (MCT) were reviewed in 14 cats. The mean age was 13.4 ± 2.5 years. There were 16 focal intestinal tumors and one diffuse submucosal infiltrate. The most common pattern was focal, hypoechoic wall thickening that was noncircumferential and eccentric (9/16 tumors) or circumferential, asymmetric, and eccentric (5/16 tumors). Nine of the cats had lesions in the jejunum or duodenum, four were at the ileocecocolic junction, and one cat had a colonic mass. Six MCTs had altered but not loss of wall layering, and the most commonly affected layer on ultrasound examination was the muscularis propria. Nine cats had enlarged abdominal lymph nodes, and seven were due to metastatic disease. Metastatic disease was not routinely detected by ultrasound in the liver (1/4 cats) or the spleen (0/3 cats). Concurrent small cell (T cell) lymphoma was present in four of 14 cats (29%).

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21554483/