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Published on: January 7, 2019
Feline visceral hemangiosarcoma
W T N Culp1, K J Drobatz, M M Glassman
1Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. wculp@vet.upenn.edu
Background:
Feline visceral hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an uncommon tumor, and the clinical progression and outcome are rarely reported.
Hypothesis:
The prognosis of feline visceral HSA is poor because of severe clinical signs, anemia, and a high rate of metastasis.
Animals:
The medical records of 26 client-owned cats with visceral HSA were reviewed.
Methods:
Multi-institutional retrospective study.
Results:
The most common historical findings and clinical signs included lethargy, anorexia, respiratory difficulty, collapse, and vocalizing. Eighty-two percent of cats were anemic, and aspartate transaminase was increased in 53% of the study population. Metastatic lung disease was noted in 33% of affected cats. In 75% of the cats, abdominal ultrasonography identified a specific location of HSA. However, ultrasound identification of all multifocal lesions was successful only in 3/9 cats (33%). Tumor location was identified in the following organs: liver (35%), small intestine (31%), large intestine (31%), abdominal lymph node (31%), mesentery (27%), spleen (23%), lung (19%), omentum (12%), brain (8%), pancreas (8%), and diaphragm (8%). Multifocal HSA was noted in 77% of cats. Three cats received adjuvant chemotherapy (doxorubicin). Seventy-one percent of euthanized cats were euthanized within 1 day of diagnosis. The median survival time of the remaining cats (n = 6) was 77 days (range, 23-296 days).
Conclusion And Clinical Importance:
Feline visceral HSA is most often multifocal at the time of diagnosis. The prognosis appears poor, and the number of cats receiving chemotherapy is low.
