Gastric leiomyoma in a domestic shorthair cat

Abstract

Neoplasia of the gastrointestinal system is uncommon in cats, whereas gastric tumors are exceedingly rare. This article describes the occurrence of gastric leiomyoma in a 3-year-old feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-positive cat. The tumor was accidentally diagnosed in a retrospective postmortem histopathological study in feline immunodeficiency virus- and FeLV-infected euthanized cats. At necropsy, a firm, muscular mass measuring 1.5 × 2.5 cm arising from the cardia extending to the fundus part of the stomach was seen. In histopathological examination, the nonencapsulated tumor mass consisted of spindle cells with large nuclei. No abnormal mitotic division, metastasis, or local invasion was seen resembling the diagnosis of leiomyoma. Helicobacter spp. infection was noted in cytological examination, and mixed infection with Helicobacter heilmannii and Helicobacter felis was confirmed in species-specific polymerase change reaction. To our knowledge, gastric leiomyoma has not been reported previously in cats. The association of Helicobacter spp. and FeLV infection with tumor occurrence is uncertain, but chronic antigenic stimulations could be considered as potential predisposing factors for gastric tumors.