Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with swollen painful joints diagnosed with Mycoplasma gateae
By Moise Ns et al.·Published in American Journal of Veterinary Research·1983·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Mycoplasma gateae arthritis and tenosynovitis in cats: case report and experimental reproduction of the disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with swollen limbs, painful joints, and fever was diagnosed with polyarthritis and tenosynovitis after showing symptoms for two months. Unfortunately, the cat was euthanized, and tests revealed severe joint damage and the presence of Mycoplasma gateae, a type of bacteria. Researchers then injected this bacteria into other healthy cats, which developed similar lameness and fever within a week, confirming that Mycoplasma gateae can cause these painful conditions in cats. This case highlights the serious nature of infections like Mycoplasma gateae in felines.
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Abstract
Polyarthritis and tenosynovitis were diagnosed in a cat. Clinical signs of 2 months' duration included swollen limbs, painful joints (sensitive to touch), lameness, and pyrexia. Laboratory test data revealed hypogammaglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, leukocytosis, and mild anemia. The cat was euthanatized and necropsied; there were chronic necrotizing fibrinopurulent tenosynovitis and arthritis with bone and cartilage erosions. Cultural examinations of synovia were positive for Mycoplasma gateae, but bacterial and viral cultural examinations were negative. Organisms propagated from the M gateae isolate were inoculated IV into 6 specific-pathogen-free cats--3 of these being subjected to immunosuppression induced with azathioprine. The 6 inoculated cats became lame 5 to 9 days later, and 5 became febrile. Cultural examinations of the pharynx in 4 cats were positive for M gateae and in 3 cats, the organism was isolated from various joints. Microscopically, arthritis and tenosynovitis were identified in all cats. Two specific-pathogen-free cats were used as controls (noninoculated); these did not become lame, had negative M gateae cultures, and were free of histopathologic abnormalities. Reproduction of disease with recovery of the causative agent indicates the pathogenicity of this particular isolate of M gateae in the cat when inoculated IV.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6824220