Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chiari-like malformation signs in two Persian cats
By Korff, Courtney P & Williamson, Baye G·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2020·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical Presentation of Chiari-like Malformation in 2 Persian Cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Two Persian cats, aged 10 and 5, were brought to the vet because they were having trouble eating and showing unusual behaviors like aggression and restlessness. Both cats held their heads in an awkward position and had pain in their necks. After brain scans, they were diagnosed with Chiari-like malformation, a condition affecting the brain's structure. Initially treated with anti-inflammatory medication, they didn't improve much, but they did respond well to pregabalin and omeprazole, which helped manage their pain.
People also search for: Persian cat difficulty eating · Chiari-like malformation treatment · cat aggression and restlessness · neuropathic pain in cats
Abstract
Two Persian breed cats, 10 and 5 years of age, were presented separately for difficulty prehending food as well as behavioral abnormalities including interanimal aggression and restlessness, pacing, or compulsive overgrooming. Both cats would regularly rest their head and neck in an extended position. Neurologic examination demonstrated calvarial and craniocervical junction pain in both and an L4-S3 myelopathy in one. Brain MRI of both cases, and CT and necropsy in 1 case, demonstrated ventriculomegaly and caudal fossa crowding, cerebellar indentation, and foramen magnum herniation consistent with Chiari-like malformation. No syringomyelia was present in either cat. The 2 cats were treated with anti-inflammatory doses of prednisolone with little to no clinical response, but experienced improvement with pregabalin and omeprazole. The 2 cats' clinical signs were consequently attributed to neuropathic and posture-related pain secondary to Chiari-like malformation. Persian breed cats may have a predisposition to Chiari-like malformation, which may not be solely a morphometric variant, and symptomatic cats may present with manifestations of neuropathic pain different from the classic signs reported in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32823159/