Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with nasal cryptococcosis treated successfully with itraconazole
By Kano, R et al.·Published in Mycoses·1997·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: A case of feline cryptococcosis treated with itraconazole.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male Abyssinian cat was brought in with sneezing and a runny nose, along with two masses on his head. Tests showed he had a fungal infection called cryptococcosis, and he was treated with an antifungal medication called itraconazole. After four weeks, he seemed healthy and his infection levels dropped, but about seven months later, the symptoms returned. The cat was treated again with itraconazole for three months, and this time he fully recovered without any side effects. Four months after stopping the medication, he remained healthy and free of the infection.
People also search for: cat sneezing and nasal discharge · cryptococcosis treatment in cats · itraconazole for cat fungal infection
Abstract
We successfully treated a feline case of cryptococcosis with itraconazole (ITZ) at a lower dosage. The patient was a 2-year-old castrated male Abyssinian cat weighing 4.1 kg and with two masses on the head. Clinical signs were sneezing and nasal discharge. The plasma cryptococcal antigen titer measured by the latex agglutination test was proved to be high (512). The biopsy specimen from the masses disclosed yeast cells which were cultured and identified to be Cryptococcus neoformans. The cat was treated with ITZ 5 mg kg-1 given orally once a day with food. After 4 weeks, treatment of ITZ discontinued, because the cat was clinically normal and the antigen titer was low (128). However, about 7 months later, a subcutaneous nodule was detected on the same area. The nasal discharge appeared again, and the cryptococcal antigen titer was 256. ITZ treatment was continued again at the same dosage for 3 months until the antigen titer was negative (< 8). Four months after discontinuation of ITZ, the cat did not relapse and the antigen titer was in the negative range. No side-effects of ITZ were detected by physical and laboratory examination.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9470427/