When Arwen, a 9-year-old cat, was diagnosed with a liver mass, his owners faced a scary decision: surgery or death.
What led to Arwen’s diagnosis?
Arwen presented to his family vet with signs of illness that prompted bloodwork.
Results revealed liver disease – a common abnormality in older cats.
Because X-rays didn’t show enough detail, an abdominal ultrasound was the next logical step.
Why was an ultrasound recommended for liver disease?
Ultrasound gives us a non-invasive, real-time, detailed view of organs that X-rays cannot provide.
It can detect masses, cysts, tumors, and abnormal organ structure – making it the gold standard for belly evaluation in cats.
What the ultrasound found: a liver mass
The ultrasound revealed a large, 2 inch (5 cm) in diameter fluid-filled mass in Arwen’s liver.
You can see the large black area: that’s the cyst on ultrasound.
Given the size and location, the safest course of action was surgery, followed by a biopsy, to determine whether the mass was benign or cancerous.
IV fluids were started early morning to support this older kitty’s kidneys and liver, and prepare his system for anesthesia.
Arwen was later placed under general anesthesia and moved to the OR.
After opening his belly up, we found the mass in the liver.
The lining of the mass was very thin, so we were very careful not to rupture it.
By carefully placing special sutures, we were able to remove the mass, along with a generous amount of healthy liver around it to hopefully remove it completely.
All other belly organs were checked, and fortunately, none showed abnormalities.
The belly was closed and Arwen recovered in ICU under close monitoring.
Arwen’s liver mass: intraop picture showing the fluid-filled mass prior to removal.
Recovery: what to expect after cat liver surgery
After surgery, Arwen was hospitalized overnight on IV fluids, antibiotics, and pain medications.
He went home the next day to recover and heal over 4 weeks.
The biopsy results
About 1 week after surgery, the pathology report revealed the mass was a cystadenoma, i.e. a benign (non-cancerous) mass!
And we removed it completely.
This type of cyst is not associated with shortened lifespan or reduced quality of life when fully removed.
What is a hepatic cystadenoma in cats?
A liver cystadenoma is a benign, fluid-filled cyst that grows from the bile ducts in the liver.
It is not cancerous.
In cats, it is most commonly found in middle-aged to older pets and is often discovered accidentally.
Surgical removal is generally curative.
Below is a view of the mass after it was removed, although it’s about 75% deflated…
Will a cat live a normal life after liver cyst removal?
In cases like Arwen’s, where the mass is benign and fully removed, the outcome is typically excellent.
Lifespan and quality of life are not expected to be affected.
Key takeaway
Liver masses in cats and dogs are frightening to hear – but not all are cancer.
Early diagnosis and detection through bloodwork and ultrasound are critical.
Postponing surgery only gives time to the mass to get bigger and become riskier to remove.
Thanks to Arwen’s dedicated owners, early surgery gave him a full, healthy future ahead.
If you would like to learn how we can help your pet with safe surgery and anesthesia, please contact us through www.LRVSS.com
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Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ, Fear Free Certified
Pete Baia, DVM, MS, DACVS