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What is your diagnosis? Cervical mass in a cat
Jennifer D Steinberg1, John H Keating
1Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA. jennifer-steinberg@idexx.com
Insights
A cat presented with weight loss and cervical masses, initially diagnosed as hyperplasia. Further analysis revealed Reed-Sternberg-like cells, leading to a diagnosis of Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in this feline case.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Oncology
- Feline Medicine
Background:
- Hodgkin's lymphoma is a malignancy of lymphocytes.
- Diagnosis in cats can be challenging due to rarity and overlapping features with other lymphoid neoplasms.
Observation:
- An 8-year-old cat exhibited weight loss, anorexia, and bilateral ventral cervical masses.
- Cytologic and histopathologic examination revealed Reed-Sternberg-like cells within lymph node architecture effacement.
- Immunohistochemistry showed neoplastic cells negative for CD18, CD3, CD20, CD79a, with a T-cell predominant background.
Findings:
- The findings supported a diagnosis of Hodgkin's-like lymphoma, specifically the lymphocyte-rich subtype.
- The presence of Reed-Sternberg-like cells is a key diagnostic indicator.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in cats with suggestive clinical and cytologic findings.
- Definitive diagnosis requires histopathology and immunohistochemistry.
- Further research into feline Hodgkin's-like lymphoma is warranted.
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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