Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kitten with congenital hypothyroidism causing constipation
By Gabriella Carvalho Abend et al.·Published in Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Medicine·2023·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Feline congenital hypothyroidism: a case report
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old male cat was brought in because he was having trouble pooping for over three days and seemed very weak. The vet found that he had a broad face, short neck, and other signs that suggested he had congenital hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones. After confirming the diagnosis with blood tests, the cat was treated with a medication called levothyroxine. Over the next several months, he gained weight, grew larger, and his hormone levels returned to normal, showing that the treatment was effective.
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Abstract
Abstract We report a two-month-old male cat weighing 630 grams with congenital hypothyroidism. The main complaints were difficulty defecating for more than three days and prostration. Physical examination revealed a broad, flat face, a short neck, enlarged submandibular lymph nodes, chemosis, mild bilateral mucopurulent ocular discharge, seborrheic coat, with gingival thickening around the upper and lower deciduous incisor teeth with partial eruption. The abdomen was distended due to constipation and right unilateral cryptorchidism. Based on this, feline congenital hypothyroidism was suspected. Hormonal tests (free T4 by equilibrium dialysis of 0.06 ng/dl, total T4 of 0.1 ng/ml and TSH of 4.7 ng/ml) confirmed this. Treatment was started with levothyroxine sodium (5−32.2 µg/kg/day). After 120 days of treatment, there was clinical stabilization. Then the patient underwent orchiectomy of the left and of the right ectopic testicles, and at 380 days of treatment, the thyroid scintigraphy showed intense uptake of the radiopharmaceutical by both thyroid lobes and a significant increase in volume. Clinical evaluation showed weight gain (2.6 kilograms during treatment), improvement in the shape of the skull, and a notable increase in body size. At 17 months of age, hormone values were within the reference limits after administration of levothyroxine sodium (32.2µg/kg/day).
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/38024778