In situ hybridization of feline leukemia virus in a primary neural B-cell lymphoma

An 8-y-old castrated male, outdoor European shorthair cat was presented with a history of hindlimb weakness and paralysis. Disease progression was continuous from the onset; deep algesia disappeared at the final stage. Radiography of the vertebral column was unremarkable; along with patient history and physical examination results, magnetic resonance imaging suggested inflammatory lesions in the spinal cord, although neoplasia could not be ruled out. Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) positivity was confirmed by a serum ELISA prior to euthanasia. Upon postmortem examination, hemorrhages were present in the spinal cord at the level of vertebrae T7-8. Histologic and immunohistochemical analysis revealed primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the spinal cord with multifocal myelomalacia and hemorrhages. To determine the presence of a pathogen within the lesion, we developed a novel in situ hybridization protocol for FeLV (RNAscope). The reaction revealed large amounts of FeLV viral RNA in the tumor cells.