Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kitten with breathing trouble from missing tracheal rings
By Gimelli, A et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2019·Laboratory of Anatomic Pathology, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital Segmental Absence of Tracheal Rings in a Kitten.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-month-old female kitten was brought to the vet because she was losing weight and having trouble breathing for the past two months. X-rays showed a large air-filled space in her chest, and further examination revealed that a section of her trachea was missing the cartilage rings that normally support it. Unfortunately, this congenital issue is quite rare and led to significant respiratory problems. Sadly, the kitten did not survive, highlighting the seriousness of this condition.
People also search for: kitten breathing problems · why is my kitten losing weight · congenital tracheal issues in cats
Abstract
Congenital anomalies of the trachea are rare in cats. This article reports segmental absence of tracheal cartilage rings in a kitten. An 8-month-old female kitten was presented with a history of weight loss and respiratory distress for 2 months. Radiographs of the thorax demonstrated a large air-filled sac suggestive of pneumomediastinum. No cartilaginous structures were evident radiographically over the caudal portion of the trachea. At necropsy examination, approximately 2 cm from the carina, a 3 cm segment of the trachea lacked cartilaginous rings. The clinical and morphological features of this lesion were similar to those described in human and canine cases of congenital segmental absence of tracheal rings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31690417/