Lymphangiosarcomas in cats: A retrospective study of 12 cases

Clinical, macroscopic, and histologic features of 12 lymphangiosarcomas in cats are described. Nine tumors were located in the subcutaneous tissue at the caudoventral abdominal wall (eight cats) or in the neck (one cat). The remaining three cats had lymphangiosarcomas around the cranial mesenteric a rtery (two cats) or precardial in the mediastinum (one cat). Macroscopicall y, the tumors were noncircumscribed, white, edematous, and intermixed with fat tissue. Histologic features varied from cleft-forming and cavernous gro wth to papilliform and solid patterns. Follow-up data were available for se ven cats with subcutaneous lymphangiosarcomas. All these cats died or were euthanatized within 6 months after surgery because of poor wound healing, l ocal recurrence, or distant metastases. The cats with abdominal or thoracic masses were either euthanatized at surgery or within 6 months after the fi rst surgery because of recurrent chylothorax, chyloperitoneum, or distant m etastases.