Feline Lymphoma Part 1: Small Cell LSA

Lymphoma in cats can affect various sites; it is categorized as either gastrointestinal, nasal, mediastinal, peripheral lymph nodes or renal. The most common is GI lymphoma; typically it affects either the jejunum or ileum, which are part of the small intestine.

GI Lymphoma in cats can either be small cell/low grade or large cell/intermediate-high grade. A commonality between small cell and large cell is that cats with either may present with similar clinical signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, changes in their appetite and weight loss.

Small cell GI lymphoma can be diagnosed in a variety of ways, such as histopathology, flow cytometry or PARR analysis but the workup may include ultrasound, lymph node cytology, and a GI panel in addition to routine labwork.

The most common immunophenotype in small cell LSA is T cell; the prognosis is usually good. Treatment usually involves chemotherapy and corticosteroids.