Ultrasound characteristics of feline urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma are similar to canine urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma

Abstract

Feline transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is a rare neoplasia of cats with an estimated prevalence of 0.18%. Cats with TCC share clinical signs with common pathologies like feline idiopathic cystitis or urinary tract infections. Nonspecific clinical signs include hematuria, pollakiuria, or stranguria. The literature lacks a feline-specific ultrasound description of TCC. The aim of this multicenter retrospective descriptive study was to report ultrasound findings of a collection of feline TCC and then assess if feline TCC and canine TCC have similar ultrasound appearances. It was hypothesized that the ultrasound characteristics would be similar between feline and canine TCC. Ultrasound studies were assessed for tumor shape, number of isolated mural masses, location within the bladder, presence of Doppler signal, echogenicity of urine, mineralization within the mass, extension of the mass into the proximal urethra or ureters, urethral/ureteral obstruction, pyelectasia, and sublumbar lymphadenopathy. Feline studies were compared to 20 cases of confirmed canine TCC.A total of 20 cats with histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of TCC were included.Feline and canine TCC had similarities when viewed using ultrasound. Statistically significant differences were identified for location of the bladder mass (cats were more likely to be mid-body vs trigonal in dogs, P = .011) and urethral extension of the tumor was less likely in cats than dogs (P = .0436). Based on this sample of 20 cats, feline TCC was most commonly a singular, broadbased mass within the mid-body or apex of the urinary bladder. K E Y W O R D Sbladder tumor, cat, comparative oncology, hematuria, mural wall tumor 1

Feline abdominal ultrasonography: What’s normal? What’s abnormal? Renal pelvis, ureters and urinary bladder

“…3 With the exception of location, the appearance of feline bladder TCC is similar to its canine counterpart. In the cats described above, 61,62 the most common presentation was that of a solitary, broad-based mass associated with a loss of layering, with or without mineralisation. In a small number of cats, multiple bladder wall masses may be present.…”

Fall time may be a reliable discriminator between neoplastic and non‐neoplastic urinary bladder lesions in dogs undergoing contrast‐enhanced ultrasound: a pilot study

“…The gas core makes the microbubbles highly echogenic such that each bubble can be ultrasonographically detectable 24 . Most US contrast agents do not diffuse across the endothelium and therefore remain strictly within the vasculature and microvasculature, allowing accurate assessment of vascular perfusion 1;28 . Following this, the gas content of the contrast agent is eliminated through the lungs, which represents a safe route of clearance, with short‐time adverse events occurring in only 0.2% of dogs and cats 25–26 .…”

“…On US, UCC is characterized by an intramural infiltration with high vascularization, and most frequently affect the bladder trigone 9 . ; 11–14 Urinary bladder polyps may show similar characteristics, with pedunculated mural masses often multifocal in distribution 15 . ; 16 Moreover, US shows low specificity in differentiating between benign and malignant bladder lesions 17 .…”

Leiomyosarcoma of urinary bladder in a Shih Tzu dog

“…Tumors invading the bladder wall commonly occur, resulting in wall disruptions. Vascular signal is often detected in TCC but not in leiomyosarcomas on color Doppler examination [8,10]. Ultrasonographic appearances of two leiomyomas and one leiomyosarcoma in the canine urinary bladder were previously reported; a single, round, welldefined intraluminal mass presented with hypo-to-mixed echogenicity and did not exhibit signal of blood flow [10].…”

“…Ultrasonographic features include a single or multiple polypoid, ovoid, or pedunculated intraluminal mass protruding from the bladder mucosa into the lumen; the mass is isoechoic compared with the bladder wall [21]. Another differential diagnosis, TCC, originates from the transitional epithelium in the bladder mucosa and involves the trigone in over 50% of dogs [8,9]. Tumors invading the bladder wall commonly occur, resulting in wall disruptions.…”