Retrospective Case Series of Tracheal Masses in Five Cats and Two Dogs

We reviewed medical records from five cats and two dogs with tracheal masses from different institutions. The most common clinical signs were respiratory distress/dyspnea. Diagnostic imaging, including radiographs, ultrasound, and computed tomography, provided information on the location, vascularity, and extent of the tracheal masses. Endoscopic debridement was performed in six cases and surgical resection in one case. The feline tracheal masses were large cell lymphosarcoma (2), granuloma, adenocarcinoma, and presumptive lymphoma based on treatment response (initial histopathology non-diagnostic: fragments of organizing hemorrhage with suppurative exudate and sloughed ciliated epithelial cells). The canine tracheal masses were well-differentiated cartilage proliferation (concerning for chondroma or osteochondroma) and a cryptococcoma. Treatment with long-term follow-up for the cases was available for review and included endoscopic debulking/debridement, surgical resection, chemotherapy, tracheal stents, glucocorticoids, and antifungal medications. The tracheal adenocarcinoma case had a prolonged survival of over four years, which has not been reported in the literature. The canine tracheal cryptococcal case also provided long-term follow-up with remission following surgical resection and antifungal therapy.