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Spinal cord astrocytoma in a cat
O Stigen1, B Ytrehus, A V Eggertsdottir
1Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences, Oslo.
The Journal of Small Animal Practice
|July 7, 2001
Summary
A nine-year-old cat was diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare spinal cord tumor. This aggressive brain tumor in cats led to progressive hindlimb dysfunction and a poor prognosis, confirmed postmortem.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Neurology
- Comparative Oncology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Spinal cord tumors are uncommon in felines.
- Anaplastic astrocytomas are aggressive gliomas, rarely reported in cats.
- Clinical presentation often includes progressive neurological deficits.
Observation:
- A nine-year-old domestic shorthaired cat presented with spinal pain and hindlimb dysfunction.
- Neurological and myelographic examinations revealed an intramedullary mass in the lumbar spinal cord.
- Postmortem examination showed significant spinal cord compression and structural abnormalities.
Findings:
- Histological analysis confirmed the intramedullary mass as an anaplastic astrocytoma.
- The tumor infiltrated multiple lumbar spinal cord segments.
- The lesion caused dorsal flattening and severe thickening of the spinal cord.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering rare spinal cord neoplasms in feline neurology.
- Anaplastic astrocytomas represent a challenging diagnosis with a poor prognosis in cats.
- Further research into feline brain and spinal cord tumors is warranted for improved diagnostics and treatment strategies.