Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Brain abscess from bite wounds in seven cats - MRI and surgery results
By Costanzo, Chiara et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2011·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Brain abscess in seven cats due to a bite wound: MRI findings, surgical management and outcome.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Seven adult domestic shorthair cats were brought to the vet with worsening neurological problems over 1 to 6 days, along with a noticeable skin puncture and swelling on their heads. MRI scans showed that they had brain abscesses caused by bite wounds, which were putting pressure on their brains. The cats underwent surgery to remove any foreign objects, like tooth fragments, and received intensive care with antibiotics. Thanks to this combination of treatments, five of the cats fully recovered and returned to normal neurological function.
People also search for: cat neurological problems · cat brain abscess treatment · cat bite wound infection · cat surgery recovery · cat antibiotics for infection
Abstract
UNLABELLED: PRESENTATION AND LESION LOCALISATION: Seven adult domestic shorthair cats were presented with a 1- to 6-day history of progressive neurological signs. A focal skin puncture and subcutaneous swelling over the dorsal part of the head were detected on physical examination. Neurological examination indicated lesion(s) in the right forebrain in four cats, multifocal forebrain in one cat, left forebrain in one cat, and multifocal forebrain and brainstem in the remaining cat. In all cats, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a space-occupying forebrain lesion causing a severe mass effect on adjacent brain parenchyma. CLINICAL APPROACH AND OUTCOME: All cats were managed with a combination of medical and surgical treatment. At surgery a small penetrating calvarial fracture was detected in all cats, and a tooth fragment was found within the content of the abscess in two cats. The combination of surgical intervention, intensive care and intravenous antimicrobials led to a return to normal neurological function in five cats. PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: As this series of cases indicates, successful resolution of a brain abscess due to a bite injury depends on early recognition and combined used of antimicrobials and surgical intervention. A particular aim of surgery is to remove any skull and foreign body (tooth) fragments that may represent a continuing focus of infection.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21872794/