Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Causes and diagnosis of seizures in 30 cats studied
By Andrée D. Quesnel et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1997·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic evaluation of cats with seizure disorders: 30 cases (1991-1993).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Thirty cats were brought in for recurrent seizures, and all were found to have structural brain diseases. The most common issues included nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and its surrounding tissues) in 14 cats, and feline ischemic encephalopathy (a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the brain) in 6. Other diagnoses included brain tumors and post-traumatic epilepsy. To determine the causes, veterinarians performed various tests, including brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Understanding these conditions can help in managing seizure disorders in cats effectively.
People also search for: cat seizures causes · feline ischemic encephalopathy symptoms · cat brain disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate causes of seizure disorders in cats. DESIGN Case series. ANIMALS 30 cats referred to the Ontario Veterinary College for recurrent seizures. PROCEDURES Signalment and seizure pattern were evaluated. Diagnostic procedures included physical, neurologic, and fundic examinations; CBC; serum biochemical analyses, including determination of pre- and postprandial bile acid concentrations; urinalysis; serologic assays for FeLV and feline immunodeficiency virus, feline infectious peritonitis, and Toxoplasma gondii, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain; CSF analysis; and neuropathologic examination of euthanatized cats and of surgical biopsy specimens. RESULTS All cats were found to have structural brain diseases; nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis of unknown cause was found in 14 cats, feline ischemic encephalopathy in 6, meningioma in 2, polycythemia vera with secondary brain lesions in 2, posttraumatic epilepsy in 1, and cerebral abscess in 1. A definitive diagnosis could not be reached in 4 cats. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The most common cause of seizures in cats is structural brain disease. Structural brain lesions often can be detected on the basis of seizure pattern and results of neurologic examination. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis and brain imaging are essential to determine the cause of these lesions. Causes of seizures found in the cats of this study differ from those reported to be the most common. Nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis of unknown origin appears to be a frequent cause of neurologic disorders in cats, including seizure disorders. Feline ischemic encephalopathy appears to exist in a milder form than the classic disease and may be a common cause of seizures in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8977651