Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome in a cat with thymoma

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.

Key words

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome - exfoliative dermatitis - neoplasia - cat

Schlüsselwörter

Kutanes paraneoplastisches Syndrom - exfoliative Dermatitis - Neoplasie - Katze

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