Tumors of the nervous system are generally less common in cats than in dogs. In cats, the brain is a more frequent site of primary tumors than the spinal cord or peripheral nerves. For the NAVLE the picture to know is this: meningioma is the commonest brain tumor and is often curable by surgery, lymphoma is the main spinal tumor, and several tumors in the brain are secondary or incidental.
Key facts
Neoplasia (brain, spinal cord or vertebrae) at a glance- Species and system: cat; brain, spinal cord, vertebrae.
- Commonest intracranial tumor: meningioma (58% of 160 cats with intracranial neoplasia; also 58% of primary brain tumors per MSD).
- Other intracranial tumors (Troxel): lymphoma 14%, pituitary tumors 9%, gliomas 7.5%.
- Commonest spinal tumor: extradural lymphoma (MSD).
- Typical patient: older cat; mean age 11.3 years in Troxel, median 12 years for meningioma surgery cases (Cameron).
- Treatment: surgical removal for accessible meningioma; radiotherapy and chemotherapy for others.
- Zoonotic or reportable: no.
What's inside
11 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 3 self-test questions and 6 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.