EOSINOPHILIC LEUKEMIA IN A CAT WITH NATURALLY ACQUIRED FELINE LEUKEMIA-VIRUS INFECTION

A four-year-old, intact female, domestic shorthair cat was presented t o a referring veterinarian with a three-day history of anorexia, weakn ess, and lethargy. Laboratory tests revealed nonregenerative anemia, m arked leukocytosis, increased liver enzymes, and FeLV-positive status. Cytochemical stains of blood and bone marrow smears showed an eosinop hilic leukemia characterized by a predominance of immature, hypogranul ar, alkaline phosphatase-positive eosinophils. Postmortem evaluation r evealed splenomegaly, an enlarged mesenteric lymph node, an accentuate d hepatic lobular pattern, pale bone marrow, and infiltrates of immatu re cells compatible with eosinophils throughout these organs. Electron microscopic examination of splenic tissue demonstrated cells with typ ical eosinophilic crystalline granules. This is the first report of eo sinophilic leukemia associated with naturally acquired FeLV infection.