Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline infectious peritonitis virus found in cat spinal fluid cells
By Ives, Edward J et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2013·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Immunocytochemical demonstration of feline infectious peritonitis virus within cerebrospinal fluid macrophages.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old female domestic shorthair cat suddenly became blind and developed weakness in all four legs, followed by seizures. Blood tests showed anemia and other abnormalities, and tests for feline coronavirus came back positive. A sample of her cerebrospinal fluid revealed high protein levels and signs of inflammation. Unfortunately, the cat was euthanized, and further tests confirmed she had feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a serious viral disease. This case highlights a new method for detecting the virus in the fluid around the brain, which could help diagnose FIP in similar cases in the future.
People also search for: cat sudden blindness · cat seizures · feline infectious peritonitis symptoms · cat coronavirus test · cat weakness and seizures
Abstract
A 4-month-old female entire domestic shorthair cat presented with an acute onset of blindness, tetraparesis and subsequent generalised seizure activity. Haematology and serum biochemistry demonstrated a moderate, poorly regenerative anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and hyperglobulinaemia with a low albumin:globulin ratio. Serology for feline coronavirus antibody was positive with an elevated alpha-1 acid glycoprotein. Analysis of cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) demonstrated markedly elevated protein and a mixed, predominately neutrophilic pleocytosis. Immunocytochemistry for feline coronavirus was performed on the CSF, with positive staining observed inside macrophages. The cat was subsequently euthanased, and both histopathology and immunohistochemistry were consistent with a diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis. This is the first reported use of immunocytochemistry for detection of feline coronavirus within CSF macrophages. If this test proves highly specific, as for identification of feline coronavirus within tissue or effusion macrophages, it would be strongly supportive of an ante-mortem diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis in cats with central nervous system involvement without the need for biopsy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23744728/