Tracheal adenocarcinoma in two domestic shorthaired cats

Tracheal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis in a Cat

A 10-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair cat presented for a suspected tracheal mass. Radiographs confirmed an intraluminal tracheal mass. Tracheal resection and anastomosis of 5 tracheal rings was performed with minimal, mild intraoperative complications and no postoperative complications. Histopathology of the tracheal mass revealed a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with incomplete margins both cranially and caudally. Further treatment, including surgical revision, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, was recommended. At the time of publication, no further treatment has been initiated, and a scheduled consultation with the oncologist has been canceled. The cat is doing well at home with no reported signs of recurrence 120 days postoperatively. This is the first report of a cat with a tracheal SCC to be treated with a tracheal resection and anastomosis and only the third feline tracheal SCC to be treated in the veterinary literature.

Multimodal non-surgical treatment of a feline tracheal adenocarcinoma

CASE SUMMARY

A 10-year-old, castrated male domestic shorthair cat presented with a 2-3 month history of weight loss, lethargy and coughing. Thoracic radiographs revealed a soft tissue opacity overlying the dorsal trachea from the first rib to second rib and the ventral aspect of the trachea extending from the second rib to approximately the fourth rib. CT confirmed a mass involving the dorsal, right lateral and ventral aspects of the trachea narrowing the lumen and extending from vertebra C7 through T4. Bronchoscopy revealed a partially circumferential irregular and multilobulated tracheal mass, which was biopsied. The histopathological diagnosis was tracheal adenocarcinoma. The cat was treated with a definitive course of external beam radiation therapy (RT; 3 Gy × 18), cytotoxic chemotherapy, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and palliative RT. The cat remained asymptomatic for 2 months and the mass remained stable radiographically for 11 months after RT.

RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION

With multimodal treatment the cat had a survival time of 755 days. Initial treatment included definitive RT, carboplatin and piroxicam, followed by toceranib phosphate and palliative RT when the mass recurred. This case report describes the first documented use of non-surgical treatment and long-term outcome of tracheal adenocarcinoma in a cat. This case report is an indication that prolonged survival can be achieved with multimodal therapy.

Invasive tracheal neoplasia in eight cats: descriptive cases and review of the current literature

Case series summary

This case series describes eight cases of invasive tracheal neoplasia that were recognized between the years 1989 and 2014 from a single tertiary referral hospital. This is a disproportionately high number of cases compared with the total number of reports in the current literature.

Relevance and novel information

Invasive tracheal neoplasia is uncommonly diagnosed in domestic cats. Feline tracheal tumors mimic other upper respiratory diseases making diagnosis challenging. Prognosis is guarded to grave, with most cats surviving less than 1 month after beginning treatment. Severe respiratory distress in cats often warrants humane euthanasia. Appropriate clinical suspicion and awareness can expedite diagnoses leading to prolonged survival rates with appropriate treatments. This case series represents the largest number of feline tracheal tumors reported and also describes the first unique histological presentation of what the authors believe to be a poorly differentiated tracheal carcinoma.

Tracheostomy in cats: 23 cases (1998-2006)

Tracheostomies can be used to provide a patent airway in animals with upper airway obstruction but have been reported to be more difficult to manage in cats than in other animals. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively describe the indications, complications and outcome of cats undergoing tracheostomy. Twenty-three cats underwent tracheostomy for laryngeal mass (n=13), trauma (n=5) and upper airway swelling (n=5). Major and minor complications were recorded in 10 and 17 cats, respectively. Seventeen cats were discharged to home, four cats were euthanased and two cats died in hospital. Complications with stoma healing were reported in one cat. Of seven cats discharged with a permanent tracheostomy, one cat is alive and six cats survived at home for between 2 and 281 days. Although complications are common, temporary tracheostomies can be beneficial for conditions in which the underlying cause can be treated. Despite risk of occlusion, permanent tracheostomies can be effective palliative procedures for cats with severe upper airway disease.

Primary Intratracheal Lymphosarcoma in Four Cats

Four cats presented with clinical signs suggestive of respiratory disease, including dyspnea, wheezing, cyanosis, inspiratory stridor, coughing, and gagging. Radiographs revealed intratracheal masses. Bronchoscopy allowed for lesion localization and collection of samples for cytopathological and histopathological evaluation, which confirmed a diagnosis of lymphosarcoma. Cats treated with systemic chemotherapy or radiation were able to achieve complete remission and long-term resolution of clinical signs.