title: Feline upper respiratory tract lymphoma: site, cyto-histology, phenotype, FeLV expression, and prognosis.
abstract: Lymphoma is the most common feline upper respiratory tract (URT) tumor. Primary nasal and nasopharyngeal lymphomas have been evaluated as distinct pathological entities; however, data on their differing clinical behavior are missing. A total of 164 endoscopic- guided URT pinch biopsies were formalin fixed and routinely processed. Imprint cytological specimens were stained with May Grünwald-Giemsa. Immunohistochemistry for anti-CD20, CD3, FeLVp27, and FeLVgp70 was performed. Prognostic significance of clinicopathological variables was investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Lymphoma was diagnosed in 39 cats (24%). Most cats with lymphoma were domestic shorthair (32 [82%]), were male (F/M = 0.56), and had a mean age of 10.3 years (range, 1-16 years). Lymphomas were primary nasal in 26 cats (67%), nasopharyngeal in 6 (15%), and in both locations (combined lymphomas) in 7 cats (18%). Neoplastic growth pattern was diffuse in 35 cases (90%) and nodular in 4 (10%). Epitheliotropism was observed in 10 cases (26%). Tumor cells were large in 15 cases, were small and medium in 11 cases each, and 2 had mixed cell size. Submucosal lymphoplasmacytic inflammation was observed in 23 cases (59%). Cytology was diagnostic for lymphoma in 12 of 25 cases (48%). A B-cell origin prevailed (34 [87%]). Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) p27 or gp70 antigen was detected in 21 lymphomas (54%). URT lymphomas were aggressive, with survival varying from 0 to 301 days (mean, 53 days). Epitheliotropism in 8 B-cell lymphomas (80%) and in 2 T-cell lymphomas (20%) correlated with prolonged survival. Age younger or older than 10 years had a negative prognostic value. Lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and FeLV infection may represent favoring factors for URT lymphoma development.
authors.affiliation: DIVET, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy sara.santagostino@unimi.it.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Santagostino
authors.affiliation: DIVET, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mortellaro
authors.affiliation: DSCC, Unità di statistica medica e biometria, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boracchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Avallone
authors.affiliation: DIVET, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caniatti
authors.affiliation: DIVET, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forlani
authors.affiliation: DIVET, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roccabianca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000502:physiology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000473:pathology
keywords: FeLV; feline; lymphoma; nasal; nasopharyngeal; phenotype; prognosis; respiratory