Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Determine whether dual-phase computed tomography angiogram (CTA) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detect more peritumoral lesions of feline injection site sarcoma (FISS) and determine whether CTA or MRI imaging characteristics of peritumoral lesions correspond with microscopic findings.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study.

ANIMALS: Ten client-owned cats with FISS.

METHODS: A fiducial marker detectable on CTA and MRI was sutured to the skin over the FISS as a standard reference point. All cats received MRI and CTA of the FISS, immediately followed by wide surgical excision. Targeted microscopic evaluation was performed on tissue with imaging-identified lesions and on the surgical margins.

RESULTS: A total of 87 imaging-identified peritumoral lesions were examined microscopically (median 4 per cat, range 3-9) with 17/87 (20%) categorized as neoplastic, 51/87 (59%) as nonneoplastic, and 19/87 (22%) as equivocal. In 25 instances, peritumoral lesions were seen on both imaging modalities at the same location. Unique imaging characteristics were seen in 5/17 neoplastic peritumoral lesions (4 cats; all different lesions; 1 CTA, 4 MRI). The CTA and MRI appearances of the remaining 12/17 neoplastic lesions were nonspecific, being observed across more than 1 microscopic category.

CONCLUSION: CTA and MRI identified a similar number of peritumoral lesions. The extensive overlap between imaging features of neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions precludes definitive identification of neoplastic peritumoral FISS lesions using CTA or MRI.