Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Male cat with cystic tongue mass causing abnormal drinking sounds
By Reed, Travis P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2011·Department of Clinical Studies, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cystic ectopic lingual thyroid tissue in a male cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old neutered male cat was brought to the vet because he had been making strange sounds while drinking and had a noticeable lump at the base of his tongue for about four weeks. The vet found a 1-centimeter cystic mass in his mouth but blood tests showed his thyroid levels were normal. The vet drained the fluid from the mass and performed a procedure to keep it open, which revealed that it was made up of abnormal thyroid tissue. After the surgery, the cat recovered well, his symptoms went away, and there was no sign of the mass returning eight months later.
People also search for: cat lump on tongue · cat drinking problems · cat thyroid surgery recovery
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION-A 6-year-old neutered male cat was examined because of a 4-week history of abnormal sounds while drinking and a previously noted mass at the base of the tongue. CLINICAL FINDINGS-Oral examination revealed a 1-cm-diameter midline cystic mass on the dorsal aspect of the base of the tongue at the junction of the rostral two-thirds and caudal third of the tongue. Complete blood count and serum biochemical analysis revealed no clinically relevant abnormalities, and serum total thyroxine and free thyroxine (determined by equilibrium dialysis) concentrations were within the reference range. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME-The fluid in the cystic mass was aspirated, and the remaining deflated mass was marsupialized. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination of sections of the excised mass revealed ectopic thyroid tissue. The cat recovered uneventfully from the surgery, clinical signs resolved, and the cat remained euthyroid with no recurrence of the mass as of 8 months after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE-This is the first known reported case of ectopic lingual thyroid tissue in a male cat. In humans, the most common site of ectopic thyroid tissue is at the base of the tongue and the condition is disproportionately found in females, compared with males. In humans with ectopic lingual thyroid tissue, the patient often lacks any other functional thyroid tissue. However, the cat of this report remained euthyroid after mass resection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21961639/