Rare recurrent cervical vascular hamartoma reported in a cat

A rare feline spinal lesion is back in focus after a new Frontiers in Veterinary Science case report detailed what appears to be the first published cat with a recurrent cervical vertebral vascular hamartoma followed with repeat imaging and treated with a second surgery, with histopathology confirming the diagnosis both times. The patient, a 3-year-old male neutered Domestic Shorthair, initially presented with progressive cervical myelopathy and spinal pain, improved after surgery, then relapsed one year later before undergoing a second excision. (frontiersin.org)

That matters because vertebral vascular hamartoma, often discussed alongside vertebral angiomatosis or vascular malformation, is rare in cats and has a thin published evidence base. Earlier reports have described lesions in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae, generally in young cats, with clinical signs including pain, paresis, proprioceptive deficits, and sometimes urinary dysfunction. A 2009 cervical case reported complete resolution after surgical debulking with no evidence of recurrence at two years, while later case series and reports added more imaging detail and longer follow-up for thoracic and lumbar disease. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

In the new report, MRI showed a right-sided extradural myelocompressive lesion at C5, associated with osseous proliferation from the right lamina and vertebral body, causing severe spinal cord compression and leftward deviation of the cord. After the first resection, the cat improved despite transient postoperative worsening. When neurologic deficits returned a year later, MRI and CT documented regrowth of the vertebral lesion, and a second surgery again yielded histopathologic confirmation of vertebral vascular hamartoma. The authors conclude that the case supports surgical intervention as a way to achieve meaningful improvement, even when incomplete resection may leave room for regrowth. (frontiersin.org)

The broader literature helps put that conclusion in context. A 2020 report in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science described a cat with a vertebral vascular hamartoma that recurred seven months after surgery, with MR and CT documenting recurrence before repeat excision; the cat later had vertebral deformation but no further CT change by 29 months after the second surgery. Separately, a 2017 two-case feline vertebral angiomatosis series reported more than one year of follow-up without recurrence after decompressive surgery, and the authors noted that only a handful of prior feline cases had been published, with mixed perioperative outcomes. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

I didn’t find substantial outside expert commentary tied specifically to this August 2026 paper, but the published record itself points to a consistent clinical message: these lesions can mimic neoplasia or other vertebral disorders on presentation, and histopathology remains essential for diagnosis. Prior reports also emphasize that CT and MRI together provide the clearest preoperative picture of osseous proliferation plus extradural compression, which is especially useful when deciding whether surgery is feasible and how aggressively to monitor afterward. (frontiersin.org)

Why it matters: For clinicians, this case is less about prevalence than pattern recognition. A young cat with chronic or progressive spinal pain, ataxia, paresis, or cervical myelopathy, especially when imaging shows vertebral proliferation and extradural compression, may have a vascular hamartoma on the differential alongside neoplasia, infection, inflammatory disease, or other malformations. The report also nudges expectations around follow-up: improvement after decompression does not rule out recurrence, and repeat imaging may be warranted if neurologic signs return. That’s particularly relevant for referral neurology, surgery, and imaging teams counseling pet parents on prognosis, reintervention, and the possibility that complete excision may not be achievable in every case. (frontiersin.org)

What to watch: The next useful developments would be additional case accumulation, clearer terminology across hamartoma versus angiomatosis labels, and more data on surveillance timing, recurrence frequency, and adjunctive therapy; one prior feline relapse report suggests radiation plus prednisolone may be an option in selected postoperative recurrence cases, but evidence remains sparse. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)