Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with chronic diarrhea and vomiting linked to fungal gut lesion
By Martineau, Michael et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports·2023·National Veterinary School of Alfort, CHUVA, Internal Medicine Unit, Maisons-Alfort, France, France·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: A case of feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia associated with fungal colonisation: endoscopic features, treatment and follow-up
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was brought in after losing weight and experiencing chronic diarrhea and vomiting for three months. The vet found a large lesion in the cat's intestine, which was diagnosed as feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF) linked to a fungal infection. After taking biopsies, the vet identified the fungus as Rhizopus microsporus. The cat was treated with prednisolone and ciclosporin for three months, which completely resolved the symptoms and improved the intestinal lesions, although another antifungal treatment was not well tolerated.
People also search for: cat vomiting and diarrhea · weight loss in cats · treatment for cat intestinal lesions · feline eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia · Rhizopus fungus in cats
Abstract
Case summary A 5-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat presented with a 3-month history of weight loss, chronic diarrhoea and vomiting. Examination revealed a large proximal duodenal lesion eventually diagnosed as feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF) associated with fungal filaments. Histological examination was performed following endoscopic biopsy. Direct examination and mycological culture of the duodenal biopsies revealed the presence of a siphomycetous fungus, which was further identified as Rhizopus microsporus. Treatment with prednisolone and ciclosporin for 3 months led to complete resolution of the clinical signs and marked improvement of the endoscopic lesions. Specific fungal treatment with amphotericin B was poorly tolerated. Relevance and novel information To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the characterisation of a siphomycetous fungus associated with FGESF lesions, and the first endoscopic description and diagnosis of FGESF without surgical biopsies. We hypothesise that the presence of R microsporus occurred because of disrupted mucosal integrity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1177/20551169231165246