Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Mar;14(3):182-90.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X12439265.

Feline alimentary lymphoma: 1. Classification, risk factors, clinical signs and non-invasive diagnostics

Vanessa R Barrs  1 , Julia A Beatty
Affiliations
Review

Feline alimentary lymphoma: 1. Classification, risk factors, clinical signs and non-invasive diagnostics

Vanessa R Barrs et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2012 Mar.

Abstract

Practical relevance: Alimentary lymphoma (AL) occurs commonly in cats and exists as distinct subtypes that differ in their clinical course, response to treatment and prognosis. Accurate diagnosis is important to guide appropriate treatment.

Clinical challenges: Differentiation of low-grade alimentary lymphoma from lymphoplasmacytic enteritis can be challenging, especially where endoscopic intestinal biopsies, which sample only the mucosa and submucosa, are used. The major differentials for intermediate- and high-grade alimentary lymphoma are other neoplastic and non-neoplastic intestinal mass lesions. The diagnosis of large granular lymphocyte lymphoma requires vigilance as it may be missed with routine diagnostics.

Patient group: AL affects predominantly middle- to old-aged domestic crossbred cats (median age 10-13 years).

Evidence base: The evidence supporting this review is grade II, III and IV, derived from prospective studies, retrospective case series, reviews, extrapolation from other species, pathophysiological justification and the combined clinical experience of those working in the field.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Weight loss is present in 80% or more of cats with low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Abdominal palpation can be normal in cats with LGAL, but common abnormalities include diffusely thickened intestinal loops or a palpably enlarged mesenteric lymph node
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Ultrasonographic and (b) gross appearance of a focal jejunal mass due to high-grade alimentary lymphoma (HGAL). The intestinal wall is thickened (1 cm) and has lost its normal alternating hyperechoic and hypoechoic wall layering pattern. The symmetrical concentrically thickened intestinal wall is visualised in (c) and vascularity identified using power Doppler. Extraintestinal involvement, such as concurrent renal (d) and hepatic (e) masses, is common in HGAL. Images (a), (c), (d) and (e) courtesy of Karon Hoffman, University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Sydney
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Mild diffuse small intestinal wall thickening (wall thickness 3.4 mm) in a cat with LGAL; (b and c) severe small intestinal wall thickening in a cat with LGAL (wall thickness 4.9 mm in b, and 4 mm in c). Note that the alternating hyperechoic and hypoechoic appearance of intestinal layers seen in healthy cats is preserved in cats with LGAL
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Valli VE, Jacobs RM, Norris A, Couto CG, Morrison WB, et al. . The histologic classification of 602 cases of feline lymphoproliferative disease using the National Cancer Institute working formulation. J Vet Diagn Invest 2000; 12: 295–306. - PubMed
    1. Rissetto K, Villamil JA, Selting KA, Tyler J, Henry CJ. Recent trends in feline intestinal neoplasia: an epidemiologic study of 1129 cases in the Veterinary Medical Database from 1964 to 2004. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2011; 47: 28–36. - PubMed
    1. Mahony OM, Moore AS, Cotter SM, Engler SJ, Brown D, Penninck DG. Alimentary lymphoma in cats: 28 cases (1988–1993). J Am Vet Med Assoc 1995; 207: 1593–1598. - PubMed
    1. Gabor LJ, Malik R, Canfield PJ. Clinical and anatomical features of lymphosarcoma in 118 cats. Aust Vet J 1998; 76: 725–732. - PubMed
    1. Vail DM, Moore AS, Ogilvie GK, Volk LM. Feline lymphoma (145 cases): proliferation indices, cluster of differentiation 3 immunoreactivity, and their association with prognosis in 90 cats. J Vet Intern Med 1998; 12: 349–354. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources