Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chronic mouth inflammation linked to esophagus inflammation in cats
By Kouki, M I et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2017·Companion Animal Clinic·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Chronic Gingivostomatitis with Esophagitis in Cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with chronic gingivostomatitis (a painful inflammation of the gums and mouth) was found to also have esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus), which can make their oral symptoms worse. In this study, 58 affected cats showed signs of esophagitis, particularly in the upper and lower parts of the esophagus. This suggests that if your cat has gingivostomatitis, it's important for your veterinarian to check for esophagitis as well, since treating both conditions may help improve your cat's overall health and comfort.
People also search for: cat gingivostomatitis treatment · cat esophagitis symptoms · how to help cat with mouth pain
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic gingivostomatitis in cats (FCG) is a debilitating disease with potentially deleterious effects on overall health. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the pathophysiology and overall impact of FCG. The aims of our study were to investigate whether gingivostomatitis occurs concurrently with esophagitis, if FCG treatment contributes to esophagitis and if esophagitis exacerbates signs of FCG. ANIMALS: Fifty-eight cats with clinical signs of FCG and 12 healthy control cats exhibiting no signs of oral disease, all client-owned. METHODS: Prospective study. Physical, oral and endoscopic examinations were performed on all cats. Measurements of salivary and esophageal lumen pH were obtained from both groups. Biopsies were acquired from sites of esophageal inflammation in cats with FCG and from normal-appearing esophageal mucosa in control cats. RESULTS: The majority of cats with clinical signs of FCG exhibited some degree of esophagitis especially in the proximal (44/58) and distal (53/58) parts (P < 0.001) with or without columnar metaplasia, compared to controls. All cats lacked signs related to gastrointestinal disease. Salivary and esophageal lumen pH were not statistically different compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis seems to occur concurrently with esophagitis. Esophagitis also should be managed in cats with chronic gingivostomatitis because it may aggravate the existing condition.
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/28960466/