Ultrasonographic Renal Subcapsular Thickening in Cats with Primary and Metastatic Carcinoma

Ayano Masuyama, Atsushi Toshima, Asami Nakajima and Masahiro Murakami

The article "Ultrasonographic Renal Subcapsular Thickening in Cats with Primary and Metastatic Carcinoma" by Masuyama et al., published in Veterinary Sciences in 2024, delves into the ultrasonographic observation of renal subcapsular thickening in cats, primarily related to lymphoma or feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The study aims to provide a detailed analysis of this condition in cats diagnosed with primary and metastatic carcinoma in the kidney.

Background

Renal subcapsular thickening is commonly associated with lymphoma and FIP in cats. However, its relation to other renal neoplasia, such as carcinoma, has been less explored. Given the lack of comprehensive information on ultrasonographic features associated with renal subcapsular thickening due to carcinoma, the study seeks to fill this gap by investigating cats diagnosed with primary and metastatic carcinoma.

Methods

A retrospective, multi-institutional, observational study was conducted, reviewing ultrasound reports from three veterinary hospitals over a five-year period. The study included cats with cytologically or histologically confirmed diagnoses of primary or metastatic carcinoma in the kidney, focusing on ultrasonographic features of renal subcapsular thickening and renal parenchyma changes.

Results

Six cats met the inclusion criteria, showcasing a mix of primary renal carcinoma, metastatic carcinomas, and presumed metastatic carcinomas from primary pulmonary sources. Ultrasonographic findings indicated that metastatic subcapsular thickening lesions were relatively thin, focal, homogeneous, and hypoechoic, while primary ones were circumferential and heterogeneous. Abnormalities in renal parenchyma, such as hyperechoic cortex with hypoechoic striations, were observed in most affected kidneys. This study is the first to document ultrasonographic subcapsular thickening in feline kidneys due to metastatic carcinoma.

Limitations

The study's limitations include a small sample size and the retrospective nature of the research, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, some cats included in the study did not have cytologic or histologic confirmation of renal subcapsular lesions, potentially introducing diagnostic uncertainty.

Conclusions

Renal carcinomas, including metastatic and primary types, can cause ultrasonographic subcapsular thickening in cats. The study emphasizes the need to consider renal carcinoma in the differential diagnosis when such ultrasonographic features are observed, highlighting the significance of further investigation into the ultrasonographic manifestations of primary renal carcinoma.

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