title: Evaluation of ketoconazole and itraconazole for treatment of disseminated cryptococcosis in cats.
abstract: During the first part of a study, cats were inoculated with Cryptococcus neoformans via the following routes: intradermal, intranasal, IV, and intracisternal. Only use of the IV route of inoculation consistently induced disseminated cryptococcosis. In the second part of the study, disseminated cryptococcosis was experimentally induced in cats via IV inoculation of C neoformans. One month after inoculation, 3 cats were treated with ketoconazole (10 mg/kg of body weight/d) and 3 cats were treated with itraconazole (10 mg/kg/d) for 3 months. One of the ketoconazole-treated and 2 of the itraconazole-treated cats also had cryptococcosis of the CNS when treatment was begun. During treatment, serum cryptococcal antigen titer progressively decreased in all cats. Abnormalities in CBC values or the serum biochemical profile were not found in any cat during treatment. However, all ketoconazole-treated cats became anorectic and lost weight. Side effects were not seen in itraconazole-treated cats. During the 3-month posttreatment observation period, all cats remained healthy. At necropsy, histologic evidence of cryptococcosis was not found in the 3 ketoconazole-treated cats or in 2 of the itraconazole-treated cats. In the third itraconazole-treated cat, cryptococcal organisms were found in the kidneys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medleau
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rakich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002415:Cats; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D017964:Itraconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D017964:Itraconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole