Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kitten with megaesophagus and esophageal stricture recovers normal
By Schneider, Jaycie et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2015·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Recovery of normal esophageal function in a kitten with diffuse megaesophagus and an occult lower esophageal stricture.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-week-old male domestic shorthair kitten was brought in for regurgitation, which is when food comes back up instead of going down. The vet found that the kitten had a condition called megaesophagus, where the esophagus is enlarged and doesn’t work properly, along with a stricture (narrowing) near the lower esophagus. To help the kitten gain weight and size, he was fed through a special tube in his stomach. Over time, this treatment helped the kitten's esophagus function normally again, and a procedure to widen the stricture was successful.
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Abstract
An 8-week-old male domestic shorthair was presented to the Internal Medicine Service at North Carolina State University for regurgitation. Radiographic diagnosis of generalized esophageal dilation and failure of esophageal peristalsis were compatible with diagnosis of congenital megaesophagus. Endoscopic examination of the esophagus revealed a fibrous stricture just orad to the lower esophageal sphincter. Conservative management to increase the body condition and size of the kitten consisted of feeding through a gastrostomy tube, during which time the esophagus regained normal peristaltic function, the stricture orifice widened in size and successful balloon dilatation of the stricture was performed. Esophageal endoscopy should be considered to rule out a stricture near the lower esophageal sphincter in kittens with radiographic findings suggestive of congenital megaesophagus. Management of such kittens by means of gastrostomy tube feeding may be associated with a return of normal esophageal motility and widening of the esophageal stricture, and facilitate subsequent success of interventional dilation of the esophageal stricture.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25030954/