Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with high calcium after kidney transplant treated by parathyroid
By Aronson, L R & Drobatz, K·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2000·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypercalcemia following renal transplantation in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old neutered male Persian cat was referred for kidney transplant surgery and had slightly elevated calcium levels before the procedure. However, after the surgery, his calcium levels skyrocketed, and a small mass was found near his thyroid glands. The vet performed surgery to remove the mass, which turned out to be a functional parathyroid adenoma (a type of tumor). After the mass was removed, the cat's calcium levels returned to normal within an hour and stayed that way for 14 months without any additional treatment.
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Abstract
An 11-year-old 3.0-kg (6.6-lb) neutered male Persian was referred for renal transplantation. Serum total calcium concentration was slightly high prior to surgery, but the week after surgery, total and ionized calcium concentrations were extremely high, and a small mass was palpable on the right side of the trachea at the level of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Exploratory surgery of the ventral aspect of the neck was performed, and a right external parathyroid mass was removed. One hour after surgery, the serum ionized calcium concentration was within reference limits, and the serum calcium concentration remained normal for the next 14 months without any specific treatment. The gross and histologic appearance of the mass, combined with the rapid decrease in serum calcium concentration following its removal, confirmed that the mass was a functional parathyroid adenoma. Although a common postoperative complication in people, hypercalcemia following renal transplantation appears to be a rare complication in cats. Surgery should be considered if the condition is a result of a parathyroid adenoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11019711/