Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with mummified fetus found in chest after hernia surgery
By Planellas, Marta et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2012·Animal Medicine and Surgery Department, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Mummified fetus in the thoracic cavity of a domestic short-haired cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A domestic short-haired cat was found on the street and later gave birth normally, but months later, she was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia, which is when organs move into the chest cavity. A chest X-ray revealed an unusual mass near her heart, suspected to be her uterus containing a mummified fetus. The cat underwent surgery to confirm the diagnosis and repair the hernia. After the procedure, she was expected to recover well, although this situation is quite rare.
People also search for: cat diaphragmatic hernia symptoms · mummified fetus in cat · cat surgery recovery · cat pregnancy complications
Abstract
This short communication describes the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical course of a domestic short-haired cat with diaphragmatic hernia in which the herniated structure in the thoracic cavity contained a mummified fetus. The cat was pregnant when rescued from the street and, days later, gave birth without abnormalities. Some months later, during an ovariohysterectomy, an abnormal localization of the uterus was observed, and at that time the case was referred to our center. A thoracic radiograph showed an abnormal thoracic mass cranial to the heart. The main suspicion was the presence of a thoracic hernia with the uterus herniated and containing a mummified fetus. A thoracotomy was performed to confirm the nature of the mass and reduce the diaphragmatic hernia. Although this clinical case is quite rare, a mummified fetus can be observed in thoracic hernias.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22958796/