Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eosinophilic Esophagitis in a Kitten.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2017
- Authors:
- Pera, Julie et al.
- Affiliation:
- From the Hope Advanced Veterinary Center · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old male kitten was brought to the vet because he was frequently regurgitating and not gaining weight after switching to dry food. Tests showed that his esophagus was enlarged and had serious lesions, indicating a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which involves inflammation caused by certain white blood cells. The kitten improved significantly when his diet was changed to a special hydrolyzed food, but adding steroids did not help further. Follow-up tests showed that the inflammation in his esophagus had nearly resolved. Overall, the treatment was effective in managing his condition.
Abstract
A 4 mo old intact male kitten was presented for chronic regurgitation and failure to thrive after weaning to dry food. Esophageal dilatation and severe diffuse proliferative lesions of the esophageal mucosa were found via radiography and esophagoscopy, respectively. Histopathologic examination revealed severe, chronic, diffuse, hyperplastic eosinophilic and mastocytic esophagitis. Eosinophilic infiltrates were prominent, with a mean of 29.8 eosinophils per high power field, supportive of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Significant clinical improvement was seen with dietary modification using a hydrolyzed diet. The addition of glucocorticoids did not result in further improvement in clinical signs. Repeat histopathology showed near resolution of eosinophilic infiltration. EoE is an uncommon and rarely reported condition in dogs and cats. Diagnosis involves histopathologic confirmation and exclusion of other causes of eosinophilic infiltration within the esophagus. This case report demonstrates the importance of biopsy in identification of EoE and the efficacy of dietary modification in the treatment of this disease in a kitten.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28535136/