Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline pyothorax in Australia study of 27 cases
By Barrs, Vanessa R et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2005·Faculty of Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline pyothorax: a retrospective study of 27 cases in Australia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 27 cats in Australia was diagnosed with pyothorax, a serious infection in the chest cavity, often caused by bacteria from the mouth. Most cases were linked to mixed bacterial infections, while a few involved unusual pathogens. The good news is that treatment was successful in 95% of the cases where a closed chest tube was used to drain the infection. However, some cats experienced complications from the tubes. Overall, this study highlights that infections in cats can often spread from the lungs rather than from bites, which is a common misconception.
People also search for: cat pyothorax treatment · why is my cat coughing · cat chest infection symptoms · cat respiratory infection causes
Abstract
Pyothorax was diagnosed in 27 cats between 1983 and 2002. In 21 (78%) of the cases, pleural fluid culture and/or cytology was consistent with a mixed anaerobic bacterial infection of oropharyngeal origin. In six cases (22%), infection was caused by unusual pathogens or pathogens of non-oropharyngeal origin, including a Mycoplasma species, Cryptococcus gattii, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. The overall mortality rate was 22%. Treatment was successful in 18 of 19 cases (95%) where closed thoracostomy tubes were inserted. One case resolved only after thoracotomy. Actinomyces species were isolated in three cases and in contrast to dogs where thoracotomy is recommended, they were resolved with tube thoracostomy. Mechanical complications occurred in 58% of the cats with indwelling chest tubes. Probable mechanisms of pleural space infection were identified in 18 cats (67%) including haematogenous infection (n=1), direct inoculation of bacteria into the pleural space (n=1), intrathoracic oesophageal rupture (n=1) and parapneumonic extension of infection (n=15; 56%). Of the latter, perioperative aspiration was suspected in two cats, parasitic migration in two and antecedent upper respiratory tract infection was implicated in seven. Parapneumonic spread of infection after colonisation and invasion of lung tissue by oropharyngeal flora appears to be the most frequent cause of feline anaerobic polymicrobial pyothorax and contests the widespread belief that direct inoculation of pleural cavity by bite wounds is more common.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16055006/