Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Congenital large intestinal hypoganglionosis in a domestic shorthair kitten.
- Journal:
- Journal of feline medicine and surgery
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Roe, Kirsty A M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Royal Veterinary College · United Kingdom
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 11-week-old female domestic shorthair kitten was brought in because she had been constipated since she was weaned. During the examination, the vet noticed her belly was swollen, and X-rays showed a lot of stool in her intestines. A procedure to look inside her colon didn't show any issues, but sadly, the owners chose to have her euthanized. After her passing, tests confirmed that she had a condition called large intestinal hypoganglionosis, which means there were problems with the nerve cells in her intestines. This case might suggest that this condition is a more common cause of constipation in young cats than previously thought.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INVESTIGATIONS: An 11-week-old female domestic shorthair kitten presented with a history of constipation since weaning. Abdominal distension was noted on physical examination and abdominal radiographs revealed a large volume of faeces in the descending and transverse colon. Colonoscopy was unremarkable and euthanasia was performed at the owners' request. DIAGNOSIS: The histological diagnosis of large intestinal hypoganglionosis was made post mortem. SIGNIFICANCE: This appears to be the first reported case of congenital hypoganglionosis in a kitten with histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis. It may potentially be a more common cause of constipation in kittens and young cats than has previously been suspected.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20417903/