Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How vets use cat age and symptoms to diagnose epilepsy type
By Stanciu, Gabriela-Dumitrita et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2017·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical reasoning in feline epilepsy: Which combination of clinical information is useful?
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 138 cats with repeated seizures was studied to understand the causes of their epilepsy. The researchers found that about 57% of the cats had idiopathic epilepsy (IE), which means the cause was unknown, while 43% had structural epilepsy (SE), where there was an identifiable issue in the brain. Factors like being older than 7 years, having abnormal neurological exams, and making vocal sounds during seizures were linked to SE. The study highlights the importance of looking at a cat's age, health history, and seizure details to help veterinarians make a more accurate diagnosis.
People also search for: cat seizures causes · feline epilepsy treatment · older cat seizures · signs of structural epilepsy in cats
Abstract
We sought to identify the association between clinical risk factors and the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) or structural epilepsy (SE) in cats, using statistical models to identify combinations of discrete parameters from the patient signalment, history and neurological examination findings that could suggest the most likely diagnosis. Data for 138 cats with recurrent seizures were reviewed, of which 110 were valid for inclusion. Seizure aetiology was classified as IE in 57% and SE in 43% of cats. Binomial logistic regression analyses demonstrated that pedigree status, older age at seizure onset (particularly >7years old), abnormal neurological examinations, and ictal vocalisation were associated with a diagnosis of SE compared to IE, and that ictal salivation was more likely to be associated with a diagnosis of IE than SE. These findings support the importance of considering inter-ictal neurological deficits and seizure history in clinical reasoning.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28720302/