Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with eyelid infection from Cryptococcus yeast in northern Portugal
By Paulo Pimenta et al.·Published in JFMS open reports·2015·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Blepharitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans in a cat from northern Portugal
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old stray cat from Portugal was brought in for swollen eyelids and discharge, which turned out to be caused by a yeast infection from Cryptococcus neoformans. The vet found no other eye problems but identified the yeast through tests. The cat was treated with itraconazole, a common antifungal, along with antibiotics and a spot-on treatment for ear mites. After a month of treatment, the cat's symptoms completely resolved, showing that the infection was successfully treated.
People also search for: cat swollen eyelids treatment · cat eye discharge causes · Cryptococcus infection in cats
Abstract
Case summary We report a clinical case of blepharitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans yeasts in a 2-year-old stray cat from northern Portugal (Vila Real) without concurrent naso-ocular signs. Ophthalmological examination revealed mucopurulent discharge from an open wound in the right upper and lower lids. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed a normal anterior segment, and intraocular pressure was within the normal reference interval. No fundoscopic alterations were detected in either eye by direct and indirect ophthalmoscopic examination. Cytological examination of an appositional smear showed numerous polymorphic neutrophils and macrophages, together with spherical yeast cells compatible with Cryptococcus species. Molecular analysis by means of PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism identified C neoformans genotype VNI. The cat was treated with itraconazole, and amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, combined with a commercial ear ointment and an imidacloprid/moxidectin spot-on application for bilateral parasitic otitis caused by Otodectes cynotis. One month after treatment, the clinical signs were completely resolved. Localised cutaneous lesions, as in the present case, probably result from contamination of cat-scratch injuries with viable encapsulated yeasts. Relevance and novel information This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first clinical report of feline blepharitis due to C neoformans without concurrent naso-ocular signs. The current findings, together with those from recent reports of the infection in domestic animals, should alert the veterinary community both in Portugal and in Europe to this underdiagnosed disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/28491367