Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline gastric pneumatosis
- Journal:
- JFMS open reports
- Year:
- 2018
- Authors:
- Carla Silveira et al.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet because he had not been eating and had been vomiting for two days. Tests showed some minor issues, but nothing alarming, and an ultrasound revealed gas trapped in the stomach wall, along with some fluid and gas in the abdomen. A CT scan confirmed the presence of gas in the stomach lining and abdomen, and during surgery, the vet found redness in the stomach and some erosion, but no clear cause was identified; it was suggested that a medication called dexamethasone might have played a role. After the vet removed part of the stomach and provided medical treatment, the cat's symptoms improved.
Abstract
Case summary A 9-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 2 day history of anorexia and vomiting. A minimum database, including a complete blood count, serum biochemistry profile and urinalysis were unremarkable apart from a toxic neutrophilic left shift and borderline proteinuria. Abdominal ultrasound revealed intramural gas entrapment with thinning of the gastric wall, a hypoechoic pancreas, peritoneal fluid and a small volume of peritoneal gas along with a hyperechoic mesentery. CT was performed and demonstrated gas within the gastric submucosa and gas in the peritoneal cavity. Generalised gastric erythema was present at surgery and histopathology of excised abnormal areas reported gastric erosion with no obvious causative agents; however, pretreatment with dexamethasone may have been a contributing factor. Culture from biopsied gastric tissue was sterile. Clinical signs resolved after partial gastrectomy and medical management. Relevance and novel information Feline gastric pneumatosis is a rare clinical finding. Imaging is essential for diagnosis and to decide on the appropriate treatment; this is often medical but in cases where there is suspicion or evidence of gastric perforation, surgery is indicated. To our knowledge, this is the first case of feline gastric pneumatosis secondary to gastric ulceration, diagnosed via CT and where dexamethasone may have been a contributing factor.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/30090636