Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mycobacterial infection causing swollen lymph nodes in a cat
By Blunden, A S & Smith, K C·Published in The Veterinary record·1996·Centre for Preventive Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A pathological study of a mycobacterial infection in a cat caused by a variant with cultural characteristics between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M bovis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old domestic short-haired cat was found to have a firm lump under its jaw, which led to a biopsy. The results showed a serious infection caused by mycobacteria, similar to those that cause tuberculosis in humans and cattle. Unfortunately, the cat was euthanized due to the severity of the infection, which had spread to multiple lymph nodes and caused significant inflammation in the lungs and other areas. This case highlights the importance of recognizing mycobacterial infections in pets and their potential health risks.
People also search for: cat lump under jaw · mycobacterial infection in cats · cat tuberculosis symptoms · what to do if my cat has a lump · cat euthanasia due to illness
Abstract
A histological examination of a biopsy from a firm submandibular mass in a seven-year-old domestic short-haired cat revealed a granulomatous lymphadenitis associated with the presence of small numbers of acid-fast bacilli. The cat was euthanased and subjected to a detailed post mortem examination which revealed extensive granulomatous inflammation in the right and left bronchial, para-aortic, mesenteric and colic lymph nodes, with small or early lesions in the lung and Peyer's patches of the ileum. Mycobacteria were isolated from the submandibular, mesenteric and cervical lymph nodes. The bacilli reacted with a DNA probe specific for the tuberculosis complex, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M bovis, but had cultural characteristics intermediate between these two species. The pathological findings are compared with previous reports of mycobacterial infections in cats, and the public health implications are discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8650893/