Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with esophageal strictures developed fatal systemic blood vessel
By Tara Hammond et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2026·Department of Emergency and Critical Care, Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties, Walpole, MA, United States, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Case Report: Systemic reactive angioendotheliomatosis in a young cat with a history of esophageal strictures and balloon dilations
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3.3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was brought to the emergency vet with neurological issues, including seizures. He had a history of esophageal strictures that required balloon dilation, which may have contributed to his condition. Tests showed he had severe anemia and low platelet counts, and his symptoms worsened quickly, leading to cardiac arrest. Sadly, a necropsy confirmed he had a rare and fatal disease called feline systemic reactive angioendotheliomatosis (FSRA). Unfortunately, there are no effective treatments for this condition, and it is considered uniformly fatal.
People also search for: cat seizures · cat cardiac arrest · feline systemic reactive angioendotheliomatosis · cat anemia treatment · cat esophageal stricture symptoms
Abstract
A 3.3-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat presented to the emergency service with neurologic signs. The cat had an extensive medical history, including previous treatment for esophageal strictures via balloon dilation. Diagnostics revealed a coagulopathy, a highly regenerative anemia, and marked thrombocytopenia. The cat’s neurologic signs progressed rapidly, culminating in seizures and cardiac arrest. A necropsy revealed findings consistent with feline systemic reactive angioendotheliomatosis (FSRA), a rare, idiopathic, multisystemic, and uniformly fatal disease. To date, only 16 cases of FSRA have been reported in the veterinary literature, and very few provide detailed descriptions of attempted treatments. It is theorized that repeated tissue trauma from procedures, infection, and chronic inflammation may have triggered a more systemic response, contributing to the development of FSRA in this cat. Further investigation is needed to better understand this rare disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1778392