Feline Intraocular Sarcoma Associated with Phthisis Bulbi
World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2009
E. Perlmann1; A.C.V.R. Almeida2; J.A.T. Pigatto2; A. Safatle1; P.S.M. Barros1
1Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Feline intraocular sarcomas (FIS) are aggressive tumors with a high rate of recidivation, metastasis, and optic nerve invasion. Similar to feline post-vaccination sarcomas, FIS develops in the presence of local inflammatory or regenerative processes. Phthisis bulbi is the final stage of a severe inflammation or trauma of the eye. Clinically the globe is hypotense, with a loss of intraocular architecture. The aim of this abstract is to report 2 cases of FIS in stray cats that at the time of adoption presented blindness and hypotonia of the affected eye. Patient 1: an 11-year old mixed breed queen, presented right eye buphthalmia, which developed in the previous month. Ocular ultrasound revealed an intraocular mass. On the day of subconjunctival enucleation, the cornea was perforated with extrusion of neoplastic tissue. Patient 2: a 10-year old mixed breed queen, presented with chronic hypotonia of the left eye and buphthalmia of the right eye, which developed in the previous week. Ophthalmologic evaluation diagnosed glaucoma (right eye) and phthisis bulbi (left eye). Bilateral enucleation was performed. All eye bulbs were fixed in 10% formalin and submitted to histology. Immunohistochemistry for vimentin, cytokeratin, S-100, CD3 and CD79a was performed on the left eye of patient 2. In patient 1 the tumor invaded the sclera and optical nerve and was composed of spindle shaped cells compatible with well differentiated intraocular fibrosarcoma. In patient 2, histology of the right eye revealed granulomatous uveitis, unassociated with the sarcoma. The tumor, composed of round cells, did not invade the sclera or the optical nerve, but occupied the entire left intraocular cavity. Immunohistochemistry was positive for vimentin, which is compatible with anaplastic sarcoma. In both cases the tumors destroyed the intraocular architecture preserving only the capsules of the crystalline. Histology confirmed a high degree of pleomorphism and atypia, with frequent mitoses. Both animals presented neurologic symptoms a few months after surgery and were humanely killed. Necropsy could not be performed. In the present study animals presented phthisis bulbi prior to neoplasia diagnosis; suggesting that both animals had chronic intraocular inflammation and atrophy of the ciliary body. Phthisis bulbi is frequently unmonitored, because eyes are blind, small, opaque and not painful. Yet, our report shows that monitoring and early enucleation of eyes of cats presented with phthisis bulbi, is important and should be considered as a treatment option, because feline intraocular sarcomas are aggressive tumors that significantly decrease life expectancy.

Speaker Information
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E. Perlmann
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia
daUniversidade de São Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil


MAIN : Ophthalmology : Intraocular Sarcoma
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