Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Utility of 5-aminolaevulinic acid fluorescence-guided endoscopic biopsy for malignant mesothelioma in a cat and dog.
- Journal:
- Australian veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Osaki, T et al.
- Affiliation:
- Joint Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine · Japan
Plain-English summary
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer in cats and dogs that can be hard to diagnose without proper tissue samples. In this study, researchers used a special technique involving a substance called 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA) to help identify this cancer in a 12-year-old cat and a 9-year-old dog. The cat had been having trouble breathing for a month, while the dog had a swollen belly for three months. Both animals underwent a procedure to take tissue samples, which confirmed the diagnosis of mesothelioma. They were treated with a chemotherapy drug called carboplatin, but unfortunately, the cat died from breathing problems, and the dog initially improved but later passed away due to heart issues. Overall, the study found that using 5-ALA for diagnosis is safe and can be helpful in veterinary medicine.
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is uncommon in cats and dogs and can be challenging to diagnose. Adequate tissue sampling is required for superior diagnostic accuracy. Protoporphyrin IX, a metabolite of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA), is a photosensitiser for photodynamic diagnosis (PDD). To the best of our knowledge, no study has reported the use of 5-ALA-PDD to detect MM in veterinary medicine. The present study describes the use of 5-ALA-PDD for MM diagnosis in a cat and dog, as well as the effectiveness of intracavitary chemotherapy. We evaluated the use of PDD with 5-ALA hydrochloride (5-ALA-PDD) in two cases of MM. A 12-year-old cat presented with a 1-month history of respiratory distress, and a 9-year-old dog presented with a 3-month history of mild abdominal distention. We endoscopically biopsied lesions in both the cases using 5-ALA-PDD. Histopathological examination revealed mesothelioma, and immunohistochemical staining was positive for calretinin. Both patients were treated with carboplatin. The cat died of respiratory failure. Although, the dog's condition improved 21 days after the first chemotherapeutic drug administration, the dog died on day 684 owing to cardiac-related issues. 5-ALA-PDD is thus, safe and feasible for the diagnosis of MM in veterinary medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36482150/