Clinical and MRI features, pathological findings of spinal lymphoma in 27 cats
This multicentric retrospective study describes the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and pathological studies of spinal lymphoma in 27 cats. Researchers studied MRI characteristics and possible correlations with histopathological findings.
The most frequent neurological signs were rapidly progressive paraparesis (62.9%) or paraplegia (22.2%). Bimodal age distribution was found with 40.7% of cats aged ≤2.5 years and 44.4% of cats aged ≥8 years.
Spinal lymphoma was generally presented on MRI as an ill-defined epidural focal lesion with moderate to severe spinal cord compression, expanding more than one vertebral body. MRI lesions were typically localized in the lumbar vertebral segment (p = 0.01), circumferential to the spinal cord (p = 0.04), hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences (p = 4.3e-06), and isointense on T1-weighted sequences (p = 8.9e-07). The degree and pattern of contrast enhancement were variable.
When follow-up MRI studies (n = 4) were performed after treatment, new lesions of similar nature but different localizations and extension were observed. Antemortem diagnosis was achieved in 22 of 27, or 81.5% of the cats. The presence of necrosis in histopathological studies as an unfavorable prognostic indicator of survival was significantly more probable when lesions were not hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences.
The researchers concluded that spinal lymphoma in cats is a complex entity with heterogeneous imaging and histopathological appearance. However, certain MRI features may support a tentative diagnosis, which in a group of cases can be confirmed when combined with the CSF findings. For the rest of the cases, tissue sampling assisted by imaging findings remains necessary for definitive diagnosis.
Valentina Lorenzo, et al. “Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging features, and pathological findings of spinal lymphoma in 27 cats.” Front Vet Sci. 2022 Oct 20;9:980414. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.980414.
Comments
Related Articles
Copyright © 2025 - All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2768-198X
List
Add
Please enter a comment