Feline Alimentary Lymphoma: Demystifying the Enigma

Alimentary lymphoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed neoplasms of the cat. The incidence of this disease has increased significantly over the past 15 years during the post-feline leukemia era. Despite the common prevalence of this disease, appropriate diagnosis and treatment can be challenging. There are two main forms of feline alimentary lymphoma: the small-cell (lymphocytic, well-differentiated, low-grade) lymphoma variety and the large-cell (lymphoblastic, high-grade) lymphoma variety. These two diseases are related; however, each presents its own diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Additionally, it can be difficult to differentiate these malignancies from other nonneoplastic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this article is to tackle the challenges of this allusive disease with a step-by-step approach to diagnosis, staging, and therapy.