Vetnews November 2022: The overlap between feline low-grade intestinal lymphoma and lymphoplasmacytic enteritis

Introduction

Lymphoplasmacytic enteritis (LPE) and low-grade lymphoma (LGL) are increasingly common chronic gastrointestinal diseases in cats. Both diseases share common clinical signs, biochemistry, and diagnostic imaging findings. Previous studies have reported between 15.6% to 53% of cases initially diagnosed as LPE on histopathology were subsequently reclassified as LGL when incorporating immunohistochemistry or clonality testing. Although such a large percentage of LPE cases have been reported to be reclassified as LGL, the converse does not as readily apply, whereby cases diagnosed with LGL were unlikely to be reclassified as LPE on histopathology. This reclassification highlights the significant overlap between these two conditions and the need for additional testing besides histopathology alone.