Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with neck lumps and weight loss diagnosed by biopsy
By Steinberg, Jennifer D & Keating, John H·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2008·Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: What is your diagnosis? Cervical mass in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet due to several months of weight loss, a decreased appetite, and two noticeable lumps in her neck. After examining samples from the lumps, the vet found abnormal cells that suggested a type of cancer called Hodgkin's-like lymphoma. This specific lymphoma is rare in cats and was confirmed through further testing. The cat's condition is serious, and treatment options typically include chemotherapy, which can help manage the disease and improve her quality of life.
People also search for: cat weight loss and lumps · domestic shorthair lymphoma treatment · why is my cat not eating
Abstract
An 8-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented for several months of weight loss, decreased appetite, and 2 bilateral, ventral cervical masses. Initial cytologic samples were interpreted as reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. Evaluation of subsequent mass aspirates revealed small numbers of large binucleated and multinucleated cells resembling Reed-Sternberg cells admixed with more numerous small and intermediate-sized lymphocytes. In histopathologic sections, the normal architecture of the lymph node was largely effaced by a slightly heterogeneous mass composed of round cells arranged in densely cellular sheets with a minor population of large (25-microm diameter) mononuclear cells and a few very large (30-40-microm diameter) binucleated or multinucleated cells interpreted as Reed-Sternberg-like cells. Immunohistochemically, the large neoplastic (Reed-Sternberg-like) cells were negative for CD18, CD3, CD20, and CD79a while the background population consisted of about 70% T cells and 30% B cells. This pattern of immunohistochemical staining along with cytologic and histopathologic findings supported a diagnosis of Hodgkin's-like lymphoma, specifically, the lymphocyte-rich subtype. Hodgkin's-like lymphoma has been reported previously in cats and should be suspected when Reed-Sternberg-like cells are observed in cytologic preparations of lymph node aspirates. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry are necessary for a definitive diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18761527/