Feline paraneoplastic syndrome associated with thymoma

A 6-year-old, spayed, female, domestic short-haired cat presented with severe erythroderma and scaling skin. She showed disturbed gait and mild behavioural changes.

The cat had a generalised, erythematous, scurfy dermatitis with marked, multifocal crusting and skin thickening. The skin was painful and contracted, which appeared to prevent normal freedom of movement.

The cat was suspected to have a paraneoplastic syndrome. A mediastinal mass was located and histologically confirmed as thymoma. The cat was diagnosed with a thymoma- associated cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome.

This is a rare condition with few reports in the literature. The skin changes, both grossly and histologically, were considered to be different from those described in cases of paraneoplastic dermatosis associated with pancreatic neoplasia. The clinical presentation was characteristic and more cases may occur in practice than are recognised. In this case, as in previous reports, the tumour was grossly resectable, which could lead to cure of the clinical condition.