May 2011

0511
Text

 

History: Cat, 9 years, male neutered

Diagnoses: Cerebrum, right hemisphere: malacia, multifocal, acute, with severe haemorrhage

Description:  Multifocal deep red discolorated masses, partially bulging out over the surface, are present in the right cerebral hemisphere. The longitudinal fissure is mildly shifted to the left.

Comments: The cat presented clinically with recurrent epistaxis. Bloodwork identified severe thrombocytopenia and severe anemia. Necropsy revealed a poorly differentiated, malignant neoplasia in the lungs. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells stained positive for cytokeratin and an anaplastic bronchial carcinoma was suspected. Numerous organs had intravascular tumor cells, indicating an embolic metastatic shower. In the brain, severe multifocal malacia with haemorrhages resulted from thrombembolism. Due to hemorrhagic diathesis, the cat also had severe multifocal haemorrhages in other organs, including the endo- and myocardium, nasal cavity, larynx, urinary bladder and stomach.

Picture by: Kristina Dietert, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Author: Stephanie Plog, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany