Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with fatal brain cyst from Taenia serialis infection
By Huss, B T et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1994·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fatal cerebral coenurosis in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old cat was brought in because it was lying on its side and panting after showing worsening neurological issues for 10 days. Despite the veterinarian's best efforts to treat the cat, it sadly passed away on the same day. An examination revealed a fluid-filled cyst in the brain, caused by a type of tapeworm that the cat accidentally hosted. This condition, known as coenurosis, can be serious and poses a risk to humans and other animals.
People also search for: cat neurological problems · why is my cat panting · coenurosis in cats · cat brain cyst treatment · tapeworms in cats
Abstract
A 6-year-old cat that was laterally recumbent and panting was evaluated because of a 10-day history of progressive neurologic abnormalities. Despite aggressive treatment, the cat died on the day of admission. At necropsy, a 1.5-cm-diameter, fluid-filled cyst was found in the white matter of the left cerebrum. The cyst was identified as a coenurus of Taenia serialis, on the basis of the cyst wall, distribution of scolices, and the shape and dimensions of rostellar hooks. Scolices were found in varying stages of ontogeny, ranging from undifferentiated to nearly mature. Taenia serialis has a canid-lagomorph life cycle, with cats being accidental intermediate hosts. However, the potential exists for rare zoonotic transmission and subsequent serious disease in human beings and other accidental intermediate hosts.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7928552/