Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats with persistent right aortic arch often have spine malformations
By Tremolada, Giovanni et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2013·Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Persistent right aortic arch and associated axial skeletal malformations in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of six cats with a rare condition called persistent right aortic arch (PRAA), which can cause trouble swallowing due to esophageal obstruction, was studied. Interestingly, four of these cats also had skeletal malformations. While genetic testing was done on one cat to look for DNA changes, it did not show a link between the skeletal issues and PRAA. This study highlights the need for more research to understand the connection between these two conditions in cats.
People also search for: cat swallowing problems · persistent right aortic arch in cats · cat skeletal malformations · cat genetic testing for health issues
Abstract
Persistent right aortic arch (PRAA) in cats is an uncommon vascular anomaly with clinical signs referable to oesophageal obstruction. To our knowledge no reports of axial skeletal malformations concomitant to PRAA have been reported in cats. The aim of this study is to depict a new clinical feature in cats affected by PRAA. In the study six cats with a diagnosis of vascular ring anomaly were enrolled. A complete physical examination, a neurological examination and a total body radiograph were performed on each animal. Four of the six cats showed contemporary PRAA and skeletal malformations. Additionally, for the first time, a genetic test was performed on one subject to detect DNA alterations in the homologous DiGeorge region of cat. The percentage of skeletal malformations reported in the normal population was compared with animals with PRAA and showed a higher frequency. Genetic testing failed to demonstrate a correlation between PRAA and DiGeorge genomic deletion. A review of veterinary and human diseases that presented both conditions was assessed. The few animals enrolled do not allow definitive conclusions. Further studies are required to corroborate the correlation between PRAA and axial skeletal malformations in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22989559/