Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with pituitary disease and widespread toxoplasmosis causing
By Spada, Eva et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Veterinarie, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and generalised toxoplasmosis in a cat with neurological signs.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old female cat suddenly developed balance problems, excessive thirst, and a skin wound. After tests, the vet found she had a hormone imbalance called hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's disease) and a serious infection from toxoplasmosis. Unfortunately, despite the diagnosis, the cat was euthanized due to the severity of her conditions. This case highlights the rare combination of these serious health issues in a cat showing neurological symptoms.
People also search for: cat balance problems · hyperadrenocorticism in cats · toxoplasmosis treatment for cats
Abstract
A 12-year-old female neutered cat presented with acute onset unilateral vestibular syndrome, a spontaneous cutaneous wound, polyuria, polydipsia, and diabetes mellitus. Hyperadrenocorticism was demonstrated by means of hyper-responsiveness to adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation, elevated urine cortisol-to-creatinine ratio, bilaterally enlarged adrenal glands on abdominal ultrasound, and pituitary enlargement on computed tomography imaging. The cat was euthanased and post-mortem histological examination revealed feline skin fragility syndrome; confirmed a pituitary cromophobe macroadenoma; and generalised toxoplasmosis with tachyzoites in the pancreas, bowel and brain. This report is the first to describe the concurrence of macroadenoma pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and generalised toxoplasmosis in a cat with central vestibular syndrome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20466572/