Introduction
- A common, malignant neoplastic disorder.
- Often on the ears, nose or lower eyelid of white cats
. - Cause : actinic keratosis may precede.
- Signs : erosive or ulcerative lesions typically of nasal planum or ear tips but may affect other sites and can manifest as a proliferative mass.
- Diagnosis : histopathology.
- Treatment : surgical resection or radiotherapy are most effective treatments. Preliminary studies utilizing photodynamic therapy on intralesional chemotherapy are promising.
- Prognosis : fair- locally invasive but slow to metastasize.
Diagnosis
Clinical signs
- 45% of lesions are multiple.
- Digital squamous cell carcinoma affects multiple digits and is one of the differentials for paronychia.
Diagnosis
Differential diagnosis
- Immune-mediated disease
. - Any neoplastic or granulomatous disorder.
- Paronychia.
Sequelae
Prognosis
- Good if radical resection performed prior to metastasis.
Reasons for treatment failure
- Radical resection may be impossible to achieve due to site and extent of tumor, eg difficult to resect tumor of nasal planum with adequate margins.
- Development of further tumors due to continued exposure to sunlight . May progress even without continued exposure due to progression of previously induced cells.
- Metastasis to lymph node.
Sources
Publications
Refereed papers
- Rees C Aet al(1998)Cutaneous horn and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease) in a cat.JAAHA34(6) 485-486.
- Lana S Eet al(1997)Feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal planum and the pinnae - 61 cases.JAAHA33(4) 329-332.
Other sources of information
- Fox L E (1995)Feline Cutaneous and Subcutaneous NeoplasmsVeterinary Clinics North America: Small Animal Practice. pp 961-979.
