Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with worsening weakness and nerve inflammation in spinal roots
By Henke, D et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2009·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Polyganglioradiculoneuritis in a young cat: clinical and histopathological findings.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 18-month-old European shorthair cat was brought to the vet after two weeks of worsening symptoms, including decreased awareness, trouble walking, and coordination issues. The cat also showed signs of facial sensitivity loss and abnormal pupil size. Despite normal spinal reflexes, the cat's condition worsened to the point of not being able to walk and experiencing tremors. After thorough testing, the vet diagnosed a rare condition called polyganglioradiculoneuritis, which involves inflammation in the nerves but left the main nerve cells intact. The exact cause is still uncertain, but it may be linked to a viral infection or an autoimmune issue.
People also search for: cat weakness and tremors · cat neurological symptoms · polyganglioradiculoneuritis in cats · cat walking problems treatment
Abstract
An 18-month-old European shorthair cat was presented with a two week history of progressive decrease in consciousness, ambulatory tetraparesis, moderate ataxia and generalised decreased-to-absent postural reactions. Bilateral facial and nasal hypalgesia, absent menace response and anisocoria were found, and segmental spinal reflexes were normal. Neurological signs progressed to nonambulatory tetraparesis, tremor and spinal hyperalgesia. Histopathological examination revealed a mild-to-moderate lymphoplasmacytic and histiocytic infiltration, predominantly in the dorsal spinal roots, cranial nerves and ganglia in association with marked demyelination and proliferation of Schwann cells. Neurons and axons were preserved. Lesions were multi-focal and varied in severity. A predominantly sensory polyganglioradiculoneuritis was diagnosed. This lesion has not been reported previously in cats. Rabies, herpesviruses, feline infectious peritonitis, feline immunodeficiency virus, Toxoplasma gondii and feline leukaemia virus were excluded as possible aetiologies. Infections by other viruses or an autoimmune disease are discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19425174/