Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal brain infection from Ochroconis gallopavum in a domestic cat
By Padhye, A A et al.·Published in Journal of medical and veterinary mycology : bi-monthly publication of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology·1994·Emerging Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases Branch, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Fatal encephalitis caused by Ochroconis gallopavum in a domestic cat (Felis domesticus).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A young domestic cat developed an ulcerated mass on its tongue and showed signs of abdominal pain. After surgery to remove the tongue lesion and explore the abdomen, the cat's health worsened over the next month, leading to sluggishness, loss of appetite, and unusual behavior. Unfortunately, the cat became non-responsive and was euthanized. Tests revealed that a fungus called Ochroconis gallopavum was responsible for a severe brain infection, marking the first known case of this type in a cat.
People also search for: cat tongue ulcer · cat abdominal pain · cat fungus infection · why is my cat lethargic · cat euthanasia after surgery
Abstract
Ochroconis gallopavum was identified as the causal agent of fatal encephalitis in a young, short-hair, domestic cat. The cat initially developed an ulcerated mass on the left side of the tongue and signs of pain in the abdomen. The tongue lesion was surgically removed and exploratory abdominal surgery revealed abnormalities suggestive of pancreatitis and peritonitis. During the month after surgery, the cat's health declined, manifested by sluggishness, loss of appetite and abnormal behaviour. Following a final rapid deterioration, the cat became non-responsive and was euthanized. Histologic examination of the brain, lung and mediastinal lymph node lesions revealed large numbers of pigmented, septate, branched, hyphal elements with swollen intercalary and terminal vesicles, and short chains of moniliform hyphal cells. Cultures of the mediastinal lymph nodes yielded a dematiaceous, thermotolerant fungus that was identified as O. gallopavum. This report describes the first well-documented infection in a cat caused by O. gallopavum.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8064545/