Detection of Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 within multicentric basosquamous carcinoma in a domestic cat

Abstract

A 12-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 3-year history of multiple nonpruritic, ulcerated, plaque-like skin lesions but no other clinical signs. A systemic examination revealed mild lymphadenopathy. Histopathologic analysis of the skin lesions revealed multicentric basosquamous carcinoma (BSC). Immunohistochemical analysis, PCR, and sequencing detected Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 (FcaPV-2) within the tumors. As BSC is rare in cats, clinical behavior has not been established. To our knowledge, this is the first case report to demonstrate detection of FcaPV-2 within a BSC in a domestic cat.