Alimentary lymphoma in a cat.

Lymphoma is the most common feline malignancy, and the alimentary form is the most common seen form of the disease. Alimentary form in the cat typically involves the small intestine, stomach, mesenteric lymph nodes, and liver. The disease is often reported in cats between 1 and 20 (mean 13 years) years of age.  A 3-year-old domestic male cat was admitted to Uludag University Animal Hospital due to chronic weight loss, loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting traced back to 15 days. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed and a large solid mass was spotted in the cranial abdomen. During the treatment, the cat developed respiratory stress, shock and died 2 days after. In light of the clinical symptoms, ultrasonography, necropsy and histopathological findings; small-cell-alimentary lymphoma was diagnosed for the 3-year-old cat. It can be interpreted that small cell (lymphocytic) alimentary lymphoma is seen rarely in younger cats and seldom exceeds itself from gastrointestinal tract compared to large-cell lymphoma.