Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with muscle weakness and voice changes linked to thymus cyst
By H. O’Dair et al.·Published in Journal of Small Animal Practice·1991·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Acquired immune‐mediated myasthenia gravis in a cat associated with a cystic thymus
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female domestic shorthair cat was brought in with general muscle weakness, tremors, difficulty swallowing, and changes in her voice. X-rays showed a mass in her chest, and tests confirmed she had acquired myasthenia gravis, an immune disorder affecting muscle function. After surgery to remove the thymus gland and treatment with immunosuppressive corticosteroids, the cat showed significant improvement and went into clinical remission.
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Abstract
Abstract Acquired myasthenia gravis was diagnosed in a five‐year‐old domestic shorthair, neutered, female cat with generalised muscle weakness, tremors, dysphagia and alterations in voice. Radiographs indicated the presence of a mass in the anterior thorax. A response to edrophonium chloride, and raised levels of anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies in the serum, confirmed the diagnosis and indicated an immune‐mediated aetiology. Clinical remission occurred following thymectomy and the use of immunosuppressive corticosteroids. This is the first fully‐documented case of acquired feline myasthenia gravis associated with the presence of a thymic abnormality in the United Kingdom. The clinical features, laboratory findings and response to treatment are compared with those reported previously in cats and other species.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/d7da0f891a2513b3904c0a16c1ba30c5a7cd195a