RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS OF THE 28th ECVIM-CA CONGRESS

Inclusion criteria of this retrospective study were: (1) presence of an ileocolic mass (ICM) diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography, (2) a surgical excision or biopsy of the ICM by laparotomy after standard preoperative investigations and (3) a histological evaluation of the ICM performed. Eight cats (2 males, 6 females) were recruited in the study, mostly domestic shorthair (6 versus 1 Maine Coon, and 1 Chartreux). Six were neutered (1 male, 5 females). The median age was 2.5 years old [range 1 – 12] and the median weight was 3.1 kilograms [range 2.3 ‐ 6.8]. The main clinical signs at presentation were chronic digestive disorders such as vomiting (63%), diarrhea (88%), dysorexia (25%), and weigh loss (38%). Ultranosographic features lacked specificity and etiology could not be determined in all cats: considered previous differentials were lymphoma or feline infectious peritonitis in 7 cases. Both ileum wall and ileocolic lymph nodes were enlarged. The ileocolic lymph nodes median size was 5 mm [range 4.7‐14,5 mm]. Six of 8 cats underwent a complete surgical removal (enterectomy via ileocolic junction resection) and two cats were submitted to biopsies by laparotomy. The histopathological analysis of the ICM revealed feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic fibroplasia (1), inflammatory lesions and fibrosis secondary to a presumed prior foreign body (4), inflammatory lesion associated with campylobacteriosis and tritrichomonosis (1), fibrosis (1), postoperative granuloma (1). Two cats died in the post‐operative period (septic peritonitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation). Six months after the surgery, all the 6 others cats were still alive and didn't show any digestive disorders.