Retrospective study of feline tracheal mass lesions

This multicentre, retrospective observational study aimed to describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, treatment and outcomes of cats with tracheal masses.

Eighteen cats from five academic or secondary/tertiary animal hospitals were included.

The median age at diagnosis was 10.7 years (mean 9.5; range 1-17). There were nine castrated males, seven spayed females, one intact male and one intact female. Fourteen (78%) were domestic shorthairs, one (6%) was an Abyssinian, one (6%) was an American Shorthair, one (6%) was a Bengal and one (6%) was a Scottish Fold. The most common presenting complaints included chronic respiratory distress or dyspnoea (n = 14), followed by wheezing/gagging (n = 12), coughing (n = 5) and voice changes (n = 5). There was cervical tracheal involvement in 16/18, and two showed involvement of the intrathoracic trachea. The following methods were used for diagnosis: ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (UG-FNB) and cytology (n = 8), bronchoscopic forceps biopsy and histopathology (n = 5), surgical resection and histopathology (n = 3), forceps biopsy via an endotracheal tube (n = 1) and histology of tissue sputtered from a cough (n = 1). Lymphoma was most often diagnosed (n = 15), followed by adenocarcinoma (n = 2) and squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1). Most lymphoma cases received chemotherapy with or without radiation according to various protocols, and partial (n = 5) or complete responses (n = 8) were noted. Kaplan-Meier survival data for cats with lymphoma revealed a median survival time of 214 days (95% confidence interval >149 days), which was significantly longer than that of other types of tumours (21 days).

Lymphoma was the most prevalent diagnosis, and showed a good response to chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Various diagnostic procedures were performed, and UG-FNB and cytology are good diagnostic procedures for cervical tracheal lesions. Owing to the variety of treatment protocols at different centres, it was impossible to compare outcomes.