Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Two young cats with large heads treated for fluid buildup in brain
By Dewey, Curtis W et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2003·Long Island Veterinary Specialists, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: External hydrocephalus in two cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Two young cats were brought in showing signs of brain issues, like unusual behavior and large heads. They were diagnosed with external hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid around the brain. To treat this, veterinarians placed a surgical shunt in each cat to help drain the excess fluid. Both cats showed significant improvement shortly after the surgery and have been doing well for several months since then.
People also search for: cat large head symptoms · cat brain surgery recovery · external hydrocephalus treatment in cats
Abstract
External hydrocephalus describes an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between the cerebral hemispheres and the overlying arachnoid membrane, rather than within the lateral ventricles. Two young cats with encephalopathic signs were diagnosed with external hydrocephalus, one via magnetic resonance imaging and one via computed tomography. Both cats had abnormally large, broad heads, with no evidence of open fontanelles. A surgical shunt was placed in each cat to divert the accumulated CSF within the cranial cavity to the peritoneal space. Both cats improved dramatically soon after surgical shunting was performed, and they continue to do well clinically, approximately 42 months and 8 months postoperatively, respectively.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14736724/