Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Inflammatory polyps in cats linked to calicivirus and herpesvirus
By Veir, J K et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2002·IDEXX Laboratories, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline inflammatory polyps: historical, clinical, and PCR findings for feline calici virus and feline herpes virus-1 in 28 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 cats with inflammatory polyps, which can cause ear or throat problems, were treated to see how well different methods worked. Some cats had their polyps removed using a technique called traction/avulsion, while others underwent a more invasive surgery known as ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO). The study found that cats with normal ear structures had a lower chance of the polyps coming back after traction/avulsion, suggesting it can be a good option for treatment. Importantly, tests showed that common viruses like feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus-1 were not linked to the development of these polyps.
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Abstract
Inflammatory polyps are associated with significant aural or nasopharyngeal disease in cats. It has been proposed that chronic viral infection may induce the masses. Ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO) is usually recommended for definitive therapy but removal of masses from the nasopharynx or external ear canal by traction/avulsion is also used. A retrospective study of 28 cats with inflammatory polyps was conducted to correlate recurrence with mode of therapy. Tissues from 41 polyps were assayed for feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus-1 by RT-PCR and PCR, respectively. Of the 14 cats initially treated by traction/avulsion, recurrence was detected in five of nine cats with radiographic evidence of bulla disease but none of the cats with normal bullae. Traction/avulsion is a reasonable treatment for inflammatory polyps if the bullae are radiographically normal. Failure to detect feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus-1 suggests that tissue persistence of these viruses is not associated with the development of inflammatory polyps.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12468312/