Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with unusual lung fungal infection treated successfully
By Evans, S J M et al.·Published in Mycopathologia·2018·Department of Microbiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Atypical Morphology and Disparate Speciation in a Case of Feline Cryptococcosis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old spayed female cat was brought to the vet with breathing problems and fluid in her chest. A CT scan showed a large mass in her chest, and tests revealed it was caused by a type of yeast called Cryptococcus. The cat was treated with fluconazole, an antifungal medication, and she responded well to the treatment. This case highlights the importance of thorough testing to identify unusual fungal infections in cats.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · cat chest fluid treatment · fluconazole for cat fungal infection
Abstract
A 6-year-old, spayed female cat was presented with acute respiratory signs and pleural effusion. Computed tomography scan revealed a large, lobulated mass effect in the ventral right hemithorax with concurrent sternal lymphadenopathy. A cytologic sample of the mass contained pyogranulomatous inflammation, necrotic material, and abundant yeast structures that lacked a distinct capsule and demonstrated rare pseudohyphal forms. Fungal culture and biochemical testing identified the yeast as Cryptococcus albidus, with susceptibility to all antifungal agents tested. However, subsequent 18S PCR identified 99% homology with a strain of Cryptococcus neoformans and only 92% homology with C. albidus. The patient responded well to fluconazole therapy unlike the only known previous report of C. albidus in a cat. The unusual cytologic morphology in this case underscores the need for ancillary testing apart from microscopy for fungal identification. Though C. albidus should be considered as a potential feline pathogen, confirmation with PCR is recommended when such rare non-neoformans species are encountered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28756537/