Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats in California with cataracts and eye inflammation cases
By Joie Lin et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports·2022·School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA, GB·View original on DOAJ →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Feline intralenticular : three cases from California
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Three domestic shorthair cats from California were brought to the vet with symptoms like cloudy eyes (immature cataracts), swelling in the eye, and lethargy. All the cats had weakened immune systems due to other health issues. After thorough eye exams and tests, they were treated with antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications, along with supportive care. One cat had surgery to remove the eye, while the others underwent procedures to remove the cataracts and place artificial lenses. The best recovery was seen in the cat that had surgery early on.
People also search for: cat cloudy eyes treatment · cat cataracts surgery · cat lethargy causes · Encephalitozoon cuniculi in cats
Abstract
Case series summary Three domestic shorthair cats from California presented to veterinary ophthalmologists with immature cataracts. Other presenting clinical signs included corneal edema, anisocoria, anterior uveitis, elevated intraocular pressure, blepharospasm and/or lethargy. All patients were immunocompromised due to concurrent diseases and/or immunomodulatory drugs. Diagnostics included serial comprehensive ophthalmic examinations with tonometry, ocular ultrasound, electroretinogram and testing for other causes of feline uveitis. Testing for Encephalitozoon cuniculi included serology, histopathology and/or PCR of aqueous humor, lens material or paraffin-embedded whole eye. Treatments included antiparasitic medication, anti-inflammatory medication and supportive care in all three cases. Surgical treatment included enucleation (one case), bilateral phacoemulsification and unilateral intraocular lens placement (one case) and bilateral phacoemulsification with bilateral endolaser ciliary body ablation and bilateral intraocular lens implantation (one case). Both cats for which serologic testing for E cuniculi was performed were positive (1:64–1:4096). In all cats, diagnosis of intraocular E cuniculi was based on at least one of the following: lens histopathology or PCR of aqueous humor, lens material or paraffin-embedded ocular tissue. The clinical visual outcome was best in the patient undergoing phacoemulsification at the earliest stage of the cataract. Relevance and novel information Encephalitozoon cuniculi should be considered as a differential cause of cataracts and uveitis in cats in California, the rest of the USA and likely worldwide.
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 DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1177/20551169221106721