Acute monoblastic leukemia in a feline leukemia virus-negative cat

Abstract

A 12-year-old female domestic short-haired cat was presented due to weight loss, anorexia, and tachypnea. Complete blood count revealed severe anemia, leukocytosis with massive undifferentiated blast cells, and thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration showed acute myeloid leukemia, subclassified as monoblastic leukemia (M5a) based on the outcomes of the cytochemistry examinations. The SNAP feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) test using whole blood was negative. In addition, FeLV/FIV proviral polymerase chain reaction test using bone marrow aspirate was also negative. Although the cat was treated with doxorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, and prednisolone, anemia did not improve without blood transfusion. The owner declined further treatment after 2 months, and the cat died a few days later.