Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2013; 41(04): 255-259
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1623711
Case Report
Schattauer GmbH

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome in a cat with thymoma

Thymomassoziiertes kutanes paraneoplastisches Syndrom bei einer Katze
O. Gójska-Zygner
1   Center of Small Animal Health Clinic Multiwet, Warsaw, Poland
,
J. Karaś-Tęcza
2   Dermatological Clinic for Dogs and Cats Dermawet, Warsaw, Poland
,
R. Lechowski
3   Department of Small Animal Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
,
A. Rodo
4   Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
,
I. Dolka
4   Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Receiced: 06 June 2012

Accepted after revision: 25 October 2012

Publication Date:
07 January 2018 (online)

Summary

Feline cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome is a rare disorder associated mainly with pancreatic carcinoma and thymoma. In this report the authors describe the case of a 12-year-old cat with paraneoplastic exfoliative dermatitis associated with thymoma. Lateral radiographic examination of the chest showed a small subtle soft tissue density in the ventral part of the first and second intercostal space, which together with skin changes suggested thymoma. Because of pain associated with the skin condition, costs of treatment and the risk associated with surgical treatment, the owner chose euthanasia of the cat. Post-mortem examination revealed a tumour which was diagnosed as thymoma by histopathological examination.

Zusammenfassung

Das kutane paraneoplastische Syndrom ist eine seltene Erkrankung, die vor allem in Zusammenhang mit einem Pankreaskarzinom oder einem Thymom auftritt. Vorgestellt wird der Fall einer 12-jährigen Katze mit einem thymomassoziierten kutanen paraneoplastischen Syndrom. Die laterolaterale Aufnahme des Thorax zeigte diskrete homogene Verschattungen im kranialen Bereich des Thorax, die in Verbindung mit den Hautveränderungen auf ein Thymom hinwiesen. Wegen des Operationsrisikos, der Behandlungskosten und der Schmerzen, unter denen das Tier litt, entschied sich der Besitzer für eine Euthanasie. Der bei der pathologischen Untersuchung im Thorax detektierte Tumor wurde mittels histopathologischer Untersuchung als Thymom diagnostiziert.

 
  • References

  • 1 Bergman PJ. Paraneoplastic syndromes. In: Withrow & MacEwen’s Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Withrow SJ, Vail DM. eds St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: 77-94.
  • 2 Day MJ. Review of thymic pathology in 30 cats and 36 dogs. J Small Anim Pract 1997; 38: 393-403.
  • 3 Forster-Van Hijfte MA, Curtis CF, White RN. Resolution of exfoliative dermatitis and Malassezia pachydermatis overgrowth in a cat after surgical thymoma resection. J Small Anim Pract 1997; 38: 451-454.
  • 4 Fry MM, McGavin MD. Bone marrow, blood cells, and lymphatic system. In: Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. 4th ed. McGavin MD, Zachary JF. eds St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2007: 743-832.
  • 5 Godfrey DR. Dermatosis and associated systemic signs in a cat with thymoma and recently treated with an imidacloprid preparation. J Small Anim Pract 1999; 40: 333-337.
  • 6 Hall J. Diagnostic dermatology. Can Vet J 2007; 48: 203-204.
  • 7 Hargis AM, Ginn PE. The integument. In: Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. 4th ed. McGavin MD, Zachary JF. eds St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2007: 1107-1261.
  • 8 Marconato L, Albanese F, Viacava P, Marchetti V, Abramo F. Paraneoplastic alopecia associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in a cat. Vet Dermatol 2007; 18: 267-271.
  • 9 Masaoka A, Monden Y, Nakahara K, Tanioka T. Follow-up study of thymomas with special reference to their clinical stages. Cancer 1981; 48: 2485-2492.
  • 10 Mauldin EA, Morris DO, Goldschmidt MH. Retrospective study: the presence of Malassezia in feline skin biopsies. A clinicopathological study. Vet Dermatol 2002; 13: 7-13.
  • 11 Mikhail M, Mekhail Y, Mekhail T. Thymic neoplasms: a clinical update. Curr Oncol Rep 2012; 14: 350-358.
  • 12 Nakagawa K, Asamura H, Matsuno Y, Suzuki K, Kondo H, Maeshima A, Miyaoka E, Tsuchiya R. Thymoma: a clinicopathologic study based on the new World Health Organization classification. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003; 126: 1134-1140.
  • 13 Pascal-Tenorio A, Olivry T, Gross TL, Atlee BA, Ihrke PJ. Paraneoplastic alopecia associated with internal malignancies in the cat. Vet Dermatol 1997; 08: 47-52.
  • 14 Patnaik AK, Lieberman PH, Erlandson RA, Antonescu C. Feline cystic thymoma: a clinicopathologic, immunohistologic, and electron microscopic study of 14 cases. J Feline Med Surg 2003; 05: 27-35.
  • 15 Rottenberg S, von Tscharner C, Roosje PJ. Thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in cats. Vet Pathol 2004; 41: 429-433.
  • 16 Shelton GD. Acquired myasthenia gravis: what we have learned from experimental and spontaneous animal models. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 1999; 69: 239-249.
  • 17 Singh A, Boston SE, Poma R. Thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis with post-thymectomy myasthenia gravis in a cat. Can Vet J 2010; 51: 757-760.
  • 18 Smith AN, Wright JC, Brawner Jr WR, LaRue SM, Fineman L, Hogge GS, Kitchell BE, Hohenhaus AE, Burk RL, Dhaliwal RS, Duda LE. Radiation therapy in the treatment of canine and feline thymomas: a retrospective study (1985–1999). J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2001; 37: 489-496.
  • 19 Smits B, Reid MM. Feline paraneoplastic syndrome associated with thymoma. N Z Vet J 2003; 51: 244-247.
  • 20 Suster S, Moran CA. Thymoma classification: current status and future trends. Am J Clin Pathol 2006; 125: 542-554.
  • 21 Turek MM. Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes in dogs and cats: a review of the literature. Vet Dermatol 2003; 14: 279-296.
  • 22 Withrow SJ. Thymoma. In: Withrow & MacEwen’s Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Withrow SJ, Vail DM. eds St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: 795-799.
  • 23 Yoon J, Feeney DA, Cronk DE, Anderson KL, Ziegler LE. Computed tomographic evaluation of canine and feline mediastinal masses in 14 patients. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2004; 45: 542-546.
  • 24 Zitz JC, Birchard SJ, Couto GC, Samii VF, Weisbrode SE, Young GS. Results of excision of thymoma in cats and dogs: 20 cases (1984–2005). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008; 232: 1186-1192.