Primary T-cell high-grade lymphoma of the feline uterus

Abstract

A 12-year-old female American shorthair cat presented with a one-month history of hematuria and general lethargy. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed complete thickening of the left uterine wall. At a diagnostic laparotomy, a large mass arising from the left uterine horn was discovered, and ovariohysterectomy was performed. Histological diagnosis revealed a T-cell high-grade lymphoma of the uterus. After the ovariohysterectomy, the patient achieved complete remission and was maintained by combination chemotherapy from 14 days after surgery. However, relapse occurred in the urinary bladder wall on day 287, and the patient died of postrenal acute renal failure on day 310. This is the first report of a feline case of primary uterine lymphoma that was treated with ovariohysterectomy followed by systemic chemotherapy.

Fig. 1.

Abdominal radiography and ultrasonography of a cat with uterine lymphoma. (A) Abdominal radiography (dorsoventral view). Note a large, well-marginated mass in the left mid-abdominal area (arrowhead). (B) Abdominal ultrasonography. A part of the left uterine horn was palpated, and both mucosal and muscle layers were thickened. Uterine lumen was dilated.

Fig. 2.

Gross findings of uterine lymphoma. (A) Intraoperative photograph. The arrowhead points to the adhesion site of the urinary bladder with the uterus. (B) Surgically removed uterus and ovaries. Note the thickened uterine wall.

Fig. 3.

Cytology and histology of uterine lymphoma. (A) Impression smears of the uterine mass. Neoplastic lymphoblasts had deeply basophilic cytoplasm without any granules and medium to large nuclei with finely granular chromatin. Prominent nucleoli can be seen. Wright and Giemsa stain, bar=10 µm. (B) Histologic section of the uterine mass. The neoplastic cells are proliferating transmurally in the left uterine horn. H&E, bar=50 µm. (C) The neoplastic lymphoblasts have positive immunoreactivity for CD3 and (D) negative for BLA. 36. 3,3′-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride chromogen and Mayer’s hematoxylin counterstain, bar=50 µm.