Feline application sarcoma: Review

Abstract

Feline injection-site sarcoma (FISS), formerly called post vaccinal sarcoma, is a malignant skin tumor of mesenchymal origin that develops at the sites of vaccination and injection of several drugs for a long time, such as antibiotics, corticosteroids, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. It affects middle-aged animals wherein the time of disease evolution may vary from a few months to 10 years post-injection. Although its pathogenesis remains unclear, the chronic inflammatory process associated with individual genetic characteristics is considered a possible cause. The development of metastasis is relatively rare, which mainly affects the lungs and the liver in about 20% of felines with FISS. Anamnesis, physical examination, laboratory investigation, and imaging tests are essential for its diagnosis. The most effective treatment involves radical surgical excision with wide lateral and deep margins. However, as the recurrence rate after the surgical excision is high, application of adjuvant therapies, such as pre-or postoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy is suggested to increase the disease-free period for the survival of the animal. The present study aims to review the clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, as well as preventive aspects of FISS.