Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline chronic gingivostomatitis causes mouth pain and treatment
By Soltero-Rivera, Maria et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2023·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis current concepts in clinical management.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with chronic mouth pain and swollen gums, known as feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), can suffer greatly from this immune-mediated condition. Treatment often involves removing most or all of the cat's teeth, which can provide significant relief. For cats that don't improve with surgery, medications that suppress the immune system may help, along with pain relief. New therapies, like using special stem cells, are also being explored for stubborn cases. Many cats see improvement after these treatments, allowing them to eat and live more comfortably.
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Abstract
PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a debilitating disease for cats and a challenge for veterinarians and cat caregivers alike. Recent literature indicates that the disease is immune-mediated in nature and likely associated with a chronic viral infection in patients with higher alpha diversity of their subgingival microbiome. The immune-mediated nature of FCGS includes both local as well as systemic effects, and the transcriptomic analysis of affected patients supports these findings. TREATMENT OPTIONS: Localized therapy in the form of surgical extraction of all, or nearly all, teeth continues to be the mainstay of treatment. For cats that do not respond to surgical management, medical management, in the form of immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory therapy, remains an option. Analgesia is of fundamental importance. Immunomodulation utilizing mesenchymal stromal cell therapy provides an alternative treatment avenue for refractory patients and likely targets the chronic viral infection present in this disease. The potential for treatment stratification and use of novel systemic treatment options may be revealed as the molecular pathways involved in this disease are better described. AIMS: This review outlines current and emerging concepts linking available science pertaining to FCGS and clinical management of the disease. EVIDENCE BASE: The article draws on the best evidence base at this juncture and is also driven by the authors' collective experience of working on the disease for over a decade.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37548475/