Case Study

Pleural effusion and possible carcinomatosis with mineralizing liver mass in a 14 year old FS DSH cat

A 14-year-old SF DSH with a history of weight loss, hyperthyroidism, and hypertension was presented for respiratory distress and pleural effusion. Systolic blood pressure was 210.

A 14-year-old SF DSH with a history of weight loss, hyperthyroidism, and hypertension was presented for respiratory distress and pleural effusion. Systolic blood pressure was 210.

DX

Pleural effusion, possible carcinomatosis

Sonographic Differential Diagnosis

This was highly suggestive for pleural effusion owing to metastatic hepatic carcinoma or similar neoplasia given he appearance of the liver mass in this patient. Therefore, the pleural effusion is likely deriving from a metastatic event. A pleurocentesis and cytospin can be performed with immediate slide preparation to assess the possibility of carcinomatosis in the chest or similar neoplasia deriving from the abdominal pathology.

Image Interpretation

The left ventricular free wall in this patient presented asymmetric hypertrophy and a large amount of myocardial fibrosis. The left atrium was prominent. Mitral insufficiency was present. Contractility of the ventricular walls was adequate and in normal range for this patient. Pleural effusion was present in this patient more so than what we would expect from the cardiac presentation given the only minor left atrial enlargement. Therefore, only minor or no cardiac contribution to the pleural effusion is suspected.