Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with brain dysfunction diagnosed with fucosidosis disease
By Arrol, Lorna P et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2011·Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fucosidosis in a domestic shorthair cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A young domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet showing signs of brain and coordination problems, which raised concerns about a serious illness. Tests, including an MRI and biopsies, revealed a rare condition called fucosidosis, a type of metabolic disease that affects how the body processes certain substances. The cat had very low levels of a specific enzyme that is crucial for breaking down certain materials in cells. While this condition is serious, understanding it can help in managing the cat's health better.
People also search for: cat brain problems · fucosidosis in cats · cat coordination issues · young cat with metabolic disease · cat enzyme deficiency treatment
Abstract
This paper documents the first reported case of fucosidosis in a cat. The cat presented with signs of forebrain and cerebellar dysfunction and a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain suggested a degenerative or metabolic disease process. A fine needle aspirate of grossly normal lymph nodes revealed vacuolated lymphocytes and a renal biopsy of an irregular shaped kidney identified vacuolated tubular epithelial cells. A white cell lysosomal enzyme screen revealed negligible α-fucosidase activity. Fucosidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of young cats with cerebellar dysfunction and must be added to the list of lysosomal storage diseases affecting the cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21115380/