Unilateral primary carcinoma of the kidney with central nervous system invasion and vertebral lysis in a cat

Latasha Ludwig; Roman Husnik; Emily Rätsep; Janet Beeler-Marfisi; Margaret Stalker; Geoffrey A Wood; J Paul Woods

doi:10.1177/20551169221141319

Unilateral primary carcinoma of the kidney with central nervous system invasion and vertebral lysis in a cat

JFMS Open Rep. 2022 Dec 27;8(2):20551169221141319. doi: 10.1177/20551169221141319. eCollection 2022 Jul-Dec.

Authors

Latasha Ludwig¹, Roman Husnik^{2

3}, Emily Rätsep^{1

4}, Janet Beeler-Marfisi¹, Margaret Stalker⁵, Geoffrey A Wood¹, J Paul Woods³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
² Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
³ Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
⁴ Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Kemptville, ON, Canada.
⁵ Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Case summary: A young adult female spayed domestic shorthair cat presented for acute hindlimb weakness and anorexia with a 1-month history of lethargy, hyporexia and weight loss. A mass was palpable in the caudolateral abdomen and the left hindlimb was diffusely edematous. Abdominal ultrasound showed hydronephrosis of the left kidney with suspected hydroureter and heterogeneous tissue in the dorsal abdomen. CT evaluation confirmed a mass extending from the left kidney through the lumbar musculature with hydronephrosis, aortic attenuation, caudal vena caval thrombosis and lysis of vertebrae 4 and 5. Fine-needle aspiration of the mass suggested squamous cell carcinoma. Owing to clinical deterioration, euthanasia was elected. At necropsy, the left kidney was firmly adhered to the lumbar region with tissue that obliterated the musculature and surrounded the aorta and vena cava. There was hydronephrosis of the left kidney. Histopathologic evaluation of the mass revealed islands of neoplastic epithelial cells separated by fibrous connective tissue and areas of gradual keratinization with rare squamous metaplasia. The histologic diagnosis was invasive carcinoma with desmoplasia and vascular invasion.

Relevance and novel information: Primary carcinomas of the kidney in cats are rare and this report documents a progression of disease not previously reported in cats. This is the second reported case of a primary carcinoma of renal origin with features of squamous cell carcinoma in a cat, and the first with lumbar and vascular invasion. This is also the first use of kidney injury molecule-1 to help investigate tumor differentiation in cats.

Keywords: Renal; kidney injury molecule-1; squamous cell carcinoma; urothelial carcinoma.

Publication types

Case Reports