Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Facial paralysis linked to high blood pressure in an older cat
By Laura Moretto et al.·Published in JFMS open reports·2021·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Reversible facial nerve paralysis in a cat suspected to be associated with systemic hypertension
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 16-year-old cat was brought in with facial paralysis, which is when the muscles on one side of the face don't move properly. The vet discovered that the cat had high blood pressure, which was causing damage to the nerves. After starting treatment to lower the blood pressure, the cat's facial movement returned to normal quickly. This case highlights how high blood pressure can affect older cats and lead to serious issues like nerve damage.
People also search for: cat facial paralysis treatment · high blood pressure in cats · elderly cat with facial droop
Abstract
Case summary This report describes the appearance of facial nerve paralysis in a 16-year-old hypertensive cat. MRI was helpful in visualising and characterising mesencephalic and facial nerve lesions thought to be induced by hypertension. Neurological signs rapidly resolved under antihypertensive therapy. Relevance and novel information Systemic hypertension is an important medical condition in geriatric cats causing damage in various target organs, including the brain. Hypertensive encephalopathy is an umbrella term for a multitude of different clinical manifestations of cerebral target organ damage. Facial nerve paralysis secondary to hypertension is recognised in human medicine, particularly in children, but so far has not been reported in veterinary medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/34925872