Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with vulva tumor linked to high eosinophil levels
By Conrado, Francisco O et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2023·Department of Comparative Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Vulval apocrine adenocarcinoma with tumour-associated eosinophilia in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old spayed female Domestic Shorthaired cat was brought in for a mass on her left vulval fold. Initially, the vet thought it might be an inflammatory issue due to mixed cell inflammation and a bacterial infection, but further testing revealed it was actually a type of cancer called apocrine vulval adenocarcinoma. After surgery to remove the mass, the cat developed swollen lymph nodes and started chemotherapy, but unfortunately, her condition worsened, and she was euthanized to prevent suffering. This case shows the importance of thorough testing when dealing with unusual tissue inflammation.
People also search for: cat vulvar mass treatment · cat cancer symptoms · feline chemotherapy side effects
Abstract
A 10-year-old, spayed female, Domestic Shorthaired cat was referred for surgical removal of a mass on the left vulval fold. An impression smear revealed mixed cell inflammation, with eosinophils predominating focally, and a concurrent bacterial infection, suggesting a primarily inflammatory lesion. However, cytology of a fine-needle aspirate of the mass revealed a neoplastic epithelial cell population, confirmed on histopathology as an apocrine vulval adenocarcinoma with lymphatic invasion and marked tumour-associated tissue eosinophilia. One month after surgical excision of the mass, the cat developed inguinal metastatic lymphadenopathy and chemotherapy was initiated. The patient ultimately developed marked peripheral lymphadenomegaly and was euthanized due to concerns for overall quality of life and comfort. This case highlights that neoplasia should be a consistent differential diagnosis for eosinophilic infiltrates/inflammation. The distinct appearance of the two cytological samples in this case stresses the need for sampling of different sites of a lesion and the importance of not relying on superficial impression smears for clinical management and prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37480674/