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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Pharynx mass with nerve tissue in 7-week-old kitten

By Cox, C L et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·1997·E.N.T. Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Heterotopic neural tissue in the pharynx of a 7-week-old kitten.

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A 7-week-old male kitten had a mass in his throat that was pushing his tongue out of place. After surgery to remove the mass, it was found to contain nerve tissue, which is unusual for animals. Thankfully, the kitten recovered well and was healthy 20 months later. This case highlights a rare condition where nerve tissue appears in the wrong place, something more commonly seen in humans.

People also search for: kitten throat mass · cat tongue displacement · kitten surgery recovery · pharyngeal mass in cats

Abstract

A 7-week-old male kitten had a pharyngeal mass (1 x 2 cm) causing displacement of the tongue. The surgically resected tissue was seen to be a moderately discrete subepithelial mass comprising islands of neuroglia and neurons separated by dense collagenous connective tissue. It is not known whether this mass retained any connection with the brain. Histochemical and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the presence of neurons and a pleocellular glial population, supporting a diagnosis of heterotopic neural tissue. The cat remained well 20 months after surgical treatment. Heterotopic neural tissue is well-recognized in man but has not been described in animals.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9263848/