Estudo retrospectivo da recuperação neurológica de gatos com linfoma epidural tratados com quimioterapia

Abstract

Epidural lymphoma is the neoplasm that most commonly affects the spinal cord of cats, causing neurological signs that vary according to the segment of the cord affected. Although the survival of these animals has already been described in other studies, none have addressed the recovery of these cats' neurological deficiencies after treatment. The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the rate and time of neurological recovery of cats with epidural lymphoma treated with chemotherapy. Cats with different degrees of neurological dysfunction were included, with spinal cord involvement, and with a definitive diagnosis of lymphoma, through cytological and/or histopathological confirmation of the material. removed from the spinal canal or other altered tissues. At the beginning of treatment of the 14 cats with lymphoma, 14.3% (n=2) had ambulatory paraparesis, 14.3% (n=2) with non-ambulatory paraparesis, 7.1% (n=1) with paraplegia and presence of deep pain perception, 50% (n=7) with paraplegia without deep pain perception and 14.3% (n=2) with non-ambulatory tetraparesis. 85.8% of cats (n=12) were positive for FeLV, 7.1% (n=1) positive only for FIV and 7.1% (n=1) negative for FeLV and FIV. The chemotherapy protocol used was COP in 10 cats, COP and CHOP in two cats and CHOP in two cats. The number of chemotherapy sessions until neurological recovery varied from one to four and, in total, from one to 13 sessions. The neurological recovery rate was satisfactory in 83.3% (10/12) of cats and occurred within seven days of starting chemotherapy, with maximum recovery observed within 28 days. In 50% of cats (6/12), recovery was complete, with no evidence of neurological impairment after treatment. Necropsy was performed on 35.8% (n=5) of the cats, in three only epidural lymphoma was found, in the others the neoplasm was observed in the brain, spinal cord (intramedullary), liver, kidney and lymph node. It can be concluded that cats with epidural lymphoma and treated with chemotherapy have an 83.3% and 50% chance of partial and total neurological recovery, respectively, within a period of 7 to 28 days, regardless of the degree of neurological dysfunction, even that patient survival is considered low, especially when associated with positive antigenicity for FeLV.