Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pathological and immunohistochemical aspects of acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia in a cat - Short communication.
- Journal:
- Acta veterinaria Hungarica
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Molossi, Franciéli Adriane et al.
- Affiliation:
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) · Brazil
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A female mixed-breed cat that tested positive for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) was brought to the vet because she had yellowing of her skin and eyes, had stopped eating, and was constipated for three days. During the examination, the vet found that she had an enlarged spleen, was very thin, and was dehydrated. Unfortunately, the decision was made to humanely euthanize her, and a postmortem examination revealed that her liver was enlarged and had white spots, and her bone marrow was mostly filled with abnormal cells called megakaryocytes and megakaryoblasts. These abnormal cells were also found in her liver, lymph nodes, spleen, kidneys, muscles, and lungs, confirming a diagnosis of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. The treatment did not work, as the cat was already in a severe state by the time of examination.
Abstract
An adult, mixed-breed, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV-) positive female cat was presented with mucosal jaundice and a history of anorexia and constipation for three days. Physical examination revealed splenomegaly, cachexia, and dehydration. Humane euthanasia was conducted, followed by postmortem examination. Grossly, the cat was icteric, and presented hepatomegaly with multifocal white spots and splenomegaly. Histologically, the bone marrow was nearly completely replaced by a proliferation of megakaryocytes and megakaryoblasts, and there was a proliferation of fibrous connective tissue. Similar neoplastic proliferation was observed infiltrating the liver, lymph nodes, spleen, kidney, skeletal muscle, and lungs. Immunohistochemistry was performed for von Willebrand Factor (VWF), CD79α, CD3, feline immunodeficiency virus, FeLV, and CD61. Marked cytoplasmic labelling was observed in the neoplastic cells for FeLV, VWF and CD61, corroborating the diagnosis of acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34224399/