Improving the diagnosis, treatment, and biology patterns of feline mammary intraepithelial lesions: a potential model for human breast masses with evidence from epidemiologic and cytohistopathologic studies.

Abstract

In this study, the frequency of different types of mammary masses and their relationship with cytohistopathologic changes was investigated and data on history, macroscopic description, clinical examination and treatment were collected. To determine the prevalence and types of cytohistopathologic changes, mammary glands from 12 female cats were evaluated. The mean age of cats at the time of diagnosis was 11.5 ± 1.9years (range 4-14years), the mean gross size of the masses was 3.1 ± 2.4cm, 4/12 (33.3%) masses were ≤3.0cm in diameter, and the maximum diameter of the largest mass had a median of 5cm, with a range of diameter of 6 × 5 × 4cm. Moreover, the preferential localization of mammary masses was the abdominal lobes (%50) and thoracic lobes (%33.3), and inguinal lobes (%16.7 of cases). Furthermore, two cases of the inguinal masses affected the caudo-inguinal lobe, six cases caudo-abdominal lobe, and thoracic masses were found in four cases. Eventually, six cases (%50) of masses were found in the right mammary lobes and six cases (%50) in the left mammary lobes. The majority of the masses revealed elastic (%50 of cases), hard (%25 of cases), or soft (%25 of cases) consistency. In the present study, according to the criteria of the veterinary and the medical WHO classification system, of the 12 cats with the cytohistopathological features of six (50%) cases qualified abscess, 3 (25%) cases as cystic hyperplasia and 3 (25%) cases were called situ carcinoma. Whereas, all hyperplastic lesions (case nos. 7-9 and ranging in size from, 1 to >4cm(3)) and carcinomas in situ lesions (case nos. 10-12 and ranging in size from, 1 to >3cm(3)) were found incidentally upon routine cytohistology. Other lesions were observed grossly and removed either at surgery (case nos. 1-6). Finally, the cats were treated with unilateral lumpectomy (3 cases) and also, nine (75%) cases had subsequent drainage, 3 (25%) of which showed cystic hyperplasia and 6 (50%) showed abscess on subsequent histopathological evaluation. Therefore, a correct diagnosis must be established quickly, and treatment must be instituted rapidly when alteration is noted in the mammary glands.