Looking Beyond Chronic Enteropathy: Identifying Intestinal Lymphoma

Chronic inflammatory enteropathy is a common gastrointestinal disorder in dogs and cats, yet distinguishing it from early intestinal lymphoma remains a significant diagnostic challenge. This session will integrate clinical and pathology perspectives to review key clinical and laboratory findings, advanced diagnostic tools - including imaging, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular testing - and illustrative case examples. Attendees will leave with a practical, evidence-based approach to differentiating chronic inflammatory enteropathy from intestinal lymphoma, selecting cost-effective diagnostic tests, and interpreting advanced pathology results.

• Review common physical examination findings and laboratory abnormalities associated with chronic inflammatory enteropathy and early intestinal lymphoma.
• Develop practical strategies for identifying patients who would benefit from additional diagnostic testing, with an emphasis on maximizing diagnostic value for financially constrained owners.
• Improve biopsy diagnostic yield by understanding optimal biopsy sites, sampling techniques, and specimen submission practices.
• Demystify the role of advanced diagnostics, including immunohistochemistry and PARR testing, and develop confidence in interpreting results, recognizing that not all clonal PARR findings indicate lymphoma.