Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with leishmaniosis treated with allopurinol and long-term
By Napoli, Ettore et al.·Published in Veterinary Sciences·2022·Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy, Italy·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Clinical Case of Feline Leishmaniosis: Therapeutic Approach and Long-Term Follow-Up
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old neutered male European Shorthair cat was brought in for weight loss and skin issues. The vet found swollen lymph nodes and spleen, and tests showed the cat had leishmaniosis, a parasitic infection. The cat was treated with allopurinol, which helped clear up the symptoms, but the owner stopped the treatment after two months. Unfortunately, the cat had a relapse with eye lesions, and although allopurinol was restarted, the owner chose to stop treatment again. The cat continued to decline and sadly passed away after further relapses. This case shows that stopping treatment can lead to worsening health.
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Abstract
The response to allopurinol treatment and survival time of a case of feline leishmaniosis in a FIV co-infected cat is herein reported. In May 2019, a 13-year-old neutered European Shorthair male was referred due to weight loss and exfoliative dermatitis. Lymphadenomegaly and splenomegaly were detected upon clinical inspection, while the presence of several Leishmania infantum amastigotes were detected on splenic and lymphonodal fine needle aspiration (FNA). Allopurinol (10 mg/kg PO q 12 h) was administered. After two months, the cat’s clinical symptoms disappeared, and the owners decided to interrupt the therapy. In February, two reddish nodular fleshy neoformations appeared in both eyes, and amastigotes of Leishmania were detected by cytology on conjunctival swabs. Allopurinol treatment was re-started at the same rate; the ocular lesions regressed in two weeks, and the owner again decided to interrupt the therapy. In July, the patient had a new relapse, but the owner, tired of continuous relapses, refused further treatment of the disease. The cat’s health condition continued to worsen: in October 2021, the ocular lesions appeared again, and in November the patient died. This case underlines the effectiveness of allopurinol and highlights how interruption of treatment frequently leads to relapse, impairing the animal’s health condition and prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9080400