Renal cystadenoma in a domestic shorthair

An 11-year-old domestic shorthair was examined after an enlarged left kidney was palpated by the referring veterinarian. No abnormalities were noted on complete blood count, serum biochemical profile and total thyroxine concentration, and the urine specific gravity was 1.039. An abdominal ultrasound identified the presence of a large cystic structure on the caudal pole of the left kidney. No abnormalities of the right kidney were seen. A left ureteronephrectomy was performed, and the cat recovered uneventfully from the procedure and was discharged from the hospital 5 days after surgery. The cat remains clinically normal 16 months postoperatively. Histopathology of the removed kidney demonstrated the presence of a renal cystadenoma. This report describes the successful surgical treatment of a renal cystadenoma. Renal cystadenoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis when renomegaly is noted. To the author's knowledge, a renal cystadenoma has not been previously reported in a cat.     

Fucosidosis in a domestic shorthair cat

This paper documents the first reported case of fucosidosis in a cat. The cat presented with signs of forebrain and cerebellar dysfunction and a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain suggested a degenerative or metabolic disease process. A fine needle aspirate of grossly normal lymph nodes revealed vacuolated lymphocytes and a renal biopsy of an irregular shaped kidney identified vacuolated tubular epithelial cells. A white cell lysosomal enzyme screen revealed negligible α-fucosidase activity. Fucosidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of young cats with cerebellar dysfunction and must be added to the list of lysosomal storage diseases affecting the cat.     

Conjunctival dacryops in a domestic shorthair cat

A 1-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat with a 1-week history of a conjunctival mass located in the dorsolateral quadrant of the right eye was presented to a referral hospital. Ophthalmic examination revealed a pink, fluctuant, and non-painful cystic swelling of the upper right palpebral conjunctiva. An ocular ultrasound confirmed the presence of a fluid-filled cystic structure that extended into the temporal orbit. The histopathology of the excisional biopsy revealed multiple cysts lined by ductal epithelium along with dilated lacrimal gland ducts and lymphocytic nodules adjacent to the dorsal lacrimal gland; consistent with a diagnosis of dacryops.     

Nasal oncocytoma in a domestic shorthair cat

An oncocytoma was diagnosed in the nasal cavity of a 12-year-old Domestic Shorthair cat who presented with periocular swelling and sneezing. Histologic examination from biopsy material revealed monomorphic sheets, anastomosing cords, tubules, and acini composed of large polygonal to oval cells that contained abundant finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. No vascular or lymphatic invasions were noted. Histochemical stains revealed positive staining of tumor cells with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) (before and after diastase digestion) and phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the tumor cells demonstrated positive staining for cytokeratin and negative staining for vimentin, desmin, S-100, glial fibrillar acidic protein, and neuronal specific enolase. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells contained large numbers of mitochondria within their cytoplasm, which confirmed a diagnosis of oncocytoma.     

Uhl's anomaly in a domestic shorthair cat

A 2-year-old, neutered male, domestic shorthair cat was presented for investigation of dyspnea and episodic weakness. Clinical and ultrasonographic features were consistent with right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Pathological findings documented Uhl's anomaly. Although rare, Uhl's anomaly should be a differential diagnosis for cats with right-sided congestive heart failure. In particular, Uhl's anomaly could be misdiagnosed as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy due to the similarity of clinical and echocardiographic findings.     

Mucolipidosis type II in a domestic shorthair cat

A seven-month-old, female domestic shorthair cat was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Zurich, with abnormal facial features, retarded growth and progressive hindlimb paresis. On physical examination the cat had a flat, broad face with hypertelorism, frontal bossing, small ears and thickened upper and lower eyelids. The corneas of both eyes were clear and the pupils were dilated. The skin was generally thickened, most prominently on the dorsal aspect of the neck. Radiography of the entire skeleton revealed a severely deformed spinal column, bilateral hip luxation with hip dysplasia, an abnormally shaped skull and generalised decreased bone opacity. The clinical features and radiographic changes were suggestive of mucopolysaccharidosis. The toluidine blue spot test on a urine sample, however, was negative for glycosaminoglycans. Further biochemical investigations revealed a deficiency of the enzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransfer-ase (GlcNAc-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.8.17) in peripheral leukocytes and an elevation of many lysosomal enzymes in the serum of the cat which is diagnostic for mucolipidosis type II. Histology and electron microscopy of different tissues are briefly summarised. The findings of this cat, the first reported case of mucolipidosis type II are compared with other similar storage diseases described in the cat.     

Chronic progressive polyarthritis in a domestic shorthair cat

A 6-year-old, neutered male, domestic shorthair cat was presented with shifting leg lameness and palpable effusion of the carpal and tarsal joints. Blood work, arthrocentesis, and radiographs identified an immune-mediated erosive polyarthritis. The cat was positive for feline syncytia-forming virus, and with his signalment, was diagnosed with feline chronic progressive polyarthritis.     

Locally invasive lymphangiosarcoma in a young domestic shorthair

A 2-year-old, female spayed, domestic shorthair cat presented to the University of Missouri-Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (UMC-VMTH) with an approximately 11-month history of fluid-draining pockets along her ventral thorax and axillae. The skin in these regions was erythematous, and multiple areas drained a serous to serosanguinous fluid. Fluid-filled, nodules formed along the ventrum, but these nodules disappeared as fluid drained spontaneously. Histologic assessment of skin biopsies revealed areas of vascular proliferation extending along the deep margin of the section and rare instances of invasion into the superficial dermis. These vascular channels were devoid of cells, lined by variably pleomorphic endothelial cells which had a low mitotic index. Based on the mild to moderate pleomorphism, positive staining with prospero-related homeobox gene-1 (PROX-1), and the locally aggressive nature of the tumor, a final diagnosis of lymphangiosarcoma was made.     

Congenital factor XI deficiency in a domestic shorthair cat

A 6-month-old, female, domestic shorthair cat was examined after onychectomy and ovariohysterectomy because of bleeding from the paws. Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time was discovered, Coagulation factor analyses revealed deficiency of factor XI coagulant activity. Plasma mixing studies indicated factor deficiency or dysfunction rather than factor inhibition. Feline factor XI deficiency in one adult cat has been previously reported but was attributed to factor XI inhibitors. The signalment, lack of primary disease, and the finding of persistent factor XI deficiency in the absence of coagulation inhibitors were considered compatible with congenital factor XI deficiency in the cat of this report.     

Naturally occurring xanthine urolithiasis in a domestic shorthair cat

A five year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented after three episodes of urethral obstruction and anuria requiring relief urethral catheterisation. A double contrast cystogram revealed the presence of multiple small cystollths which were radlolucent on plain radiographs. A perlneal urethrostomy and a cystotomy were performed to relieve the urethral obstruction and to remove the cystoliths. Quantitative analysis revealed the cystoliths to be composed of 100 per cent xanthine. Clinical history suggested the xanthinuria to be naturally occurring. Unfortunately, the cat was killed in a road traffic accident two months after the surgical procedure, preventing further long-term assessment.     

Dorso-medial ante-brachiocarpal luxation with radio-ulna luxation in a domestic shorthair

An 8-year-old domestic shorthair was admitted with non-weight bearing left forelimb lameness. Examination and radiographs revealed dorso-medial ante-brachiocarpal luxation with palmar luxation of the distal radio-ulnar joint. Primary repair was performed and stabilised using an arthrodesis wire and type Ia Kirschner-Ehmer (K-E) external skeletal fixator (ESF). The cat regained excellent pain-free limb function by 14 weeks with only minor reduction in range of movement. This is the first case report of a cat with distal radio-ulnar joint luxation associated with ante-brachiocarpal luxation. Primary repair of carpal luxation in the cat should be considered before arthrodesis.     

Double ureters with ureteral ectopia in a domestic shorthair cat

A 5-month-old domestic shorthair cat was presented for evaluation of urinary incontinence since birth. Excretory urography revealed dilated double ectopic ureters draining a hydronephrotic right kidney. Urine culture yielded a pure culture of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The cat was treated initially with bactericidal antibiotics, followed by right-sided nephroureterectomy. The surgery and antibiotic therapy led to complete resolution of urinary incontinence and urinary tract infection. Ureteral duplication is an unusual congenital anomaly that has not been previously reported in the cat.     

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa in two domestic shorthair kittens

This article describes two cases of junctional epidermolysis bullosa in nonrelated kittens. Both cats exhibited pinnal erosions, oral ulcerations and severe onychomadesis. Histopathology, electron microscopy and/or indirect immunoperoxidase revealed subepidermal clefting, with the lamina densa remaining attached to the floor of the vesicles. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed reduced staining for laminin-5 gamma2 subunit in case 1 and beta3 subunit in case 2.     

Congenital hyposomatotropism in a domestic shorthair cat presenting with congenital corneal oedema

A six-month-old, female, domestic shorthair cat was presented with a history of failure to grow and bilateral corneal opacity caused by corneal oedema. Congenital hyposomatotropism and possible secondary hypothyroidism were diagnosed on the basis of fasting serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and thyroxine levels, respectively. These endocrinopathies are rare in the cat and have not been reported to cause ocular signs. The cat died during investigation of these diseases, and histopathological examination of the eyes showed significantly reduced corneal endothelial cell density and number of corneal epithelial cell layers when compared with age-matched healthy control corneas. These changes were implicated in the development of the corneal oedema.     

Monoclonal immunoglobulin G cryoglobulinemia and multiple myeloma in a domestic shorthair cat

A 13-year-old castrated domestic shorthair cat was examined because of fever, anorexia, and dermatologic lesions. Crusting, erythema, and well-demarcated purple discoloration of the foot pads and the tips of the pinnae, nose, and tail were seen. A white flocculent precipitate was detected in cooled serum. This precipitate dissolved upon rewarming, consistent with a cryoglobulin. Hypercalcemia, high alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities, thrombocytopenia, and a monoclonal IgG gammopathy were found. Numerous hepatic nodules were detected by means of abdominal ultrasonography. Cytologic evaluation of fine-needle aspirates of the liver and spleen revealed numerous plasma cells, and evaluation of a bone marrow aspirate revealed plasmacytosis. A diagnosis of multiple myeloma and monoclonal IgG cryoglobulinemia was made, and the cat was euthanatized.