Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat on phenobarbital developed swollen lymph nodes that improved
By Lieser, J & Schwedes, C S·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2018·AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pseudolymphoma in a cat on phenobarbital treatment.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet because she was lethargic, not eating, and had swollen lymph nodes. She had been on phenobarbital, a medication for seizures, for about a month before these symptoms appeared. After some tests, the vet found that the lymph nodes were reacting to the medication rather than an infection or cancer. Once the phenobarbital was stopped, the cat's condition improved, and her lymph nodes returned to normal size within 10 days.
People also search for: cat swollen lymph nodes · cat not eating after seizure medication · phenobarbital side effects in cats
Abstract
A two-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented with apathy, inappetence and generalised lymphadenomegaly. Anamnestic data included a generalised seizure disorder and phenobarbital treatment started one month before presentation. Routine blood analysis revealed only mild abnormalities and FeLV and FIV tests were negative. Both popliteal lymph nodes were aspirated and cytology was consistent with reactive lymph node hyperplasia. PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement testing diagnosed a polyclonal cell population. In the absence of another cause, lymphadenomegaly was attributed to an adverse drug reaction and phenobarbital was discontinued. The cat's condition improved and lymph node size normalised over the next 10 days. The retrospective diagnosis was phenobarbital-induced pseudolymphoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28660738/