CT findings of a multilobular tumour of bone arising from the skull of a cat

Abstract

A seven-year-old female neutered domestic short hair (DSH) cat was presented with a three-week history of increased upper respiratory tract noise and dysphagia. Initial investigations included pharyngeal examination under general anaesthesia that demonstrated a left-sided bulging of the pharyngeal wall. A CT study of the head and thorax revealed the extent of a mass arising from the left ventrolateral calvarium. In addition, a contralateral extra-axial intracranial mass and a unilateral thyroid nodule were also evident. No pulmonary metastases were detected. Surgical biopsy confirmed a multilobular tumour of bone (MLTB). Due to the tumour extent and presence of an additional extra-axial lesion, surgery was discouraged. The patient was discharged with palliative analgesia and euthanased three weeks later. The CT findings for MLTB of the feline skull have not been previously reported and are similar to the more common skull manifestation in dogs.