Diagnosis and treatment of myelo-osteolytic plasmablastic lymphoma of the femur in a domestic ferret.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 6-year-old 0.82-kg (1.8-lb) spayed female domestic ferret was evaluated because of a 1-month history of decreased activity that had progressively worsened over the past week. The ferret had previously been determined to have adrenocortical disease and was undergoing medical management for the associated clinical signs.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

Physical examination revealed lameness of the right hind limb with evidence of pain elicited during palpation of the right femur. Results of a CBC suggested mild anemia, and those of a serum biochemical analysis indicated a high blood glucose concentration. Radiography of the limb revealed extensive lysis of the right femur. Cytologic evaluation of a fine-needle aspirate of the bone lesion revealed a dominant plasma cell component. Plasma cell neoplasia was suspected on the basis of these findings.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Radical right hind limb amputation with mid to caudal hemipelvectomy was performed. Histologic evaluation of the lesion allowed a diagnosis of lymphoma with plasmablastic features, and immunohistochemical testing revealed a few CD79alpha-positive neoplastic cells and rare BLA36-positive cells. Adjunctive antineoplastic treatment with systemically administered multidrug chemotherapy was initiated. Six months after surgery, the ferret was reevaluated, and chemotherapy was discontinued when results of clinicopathologic tests, whole body survey radiography, and abdominal ultrasonography suggested no recurrence of the disease.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The ferret appeared to cope well with radical hind limb amputation, and the chemotherapeutic protocol used was easy to administer. This treatment approach might lead to better owner and patient compliance in other cases of lymphoma in ferrets.