title: Itraconazole for the treatment of cryptococcosis in cats.
abstract: Itraconazole was used in 35 cats with cryptococcosis. Treatment response was determined by comparing clinical signs before, during, and after treatment. It could not be evaluated in 7 cats because they died during treatment from causes unrelated to cryptococcosis. Of the remaining 28 cats, treatment response was classified as success in 16 cats (57%), as improvement in 8 cats (29%), and as a failure in 4 (14%). The failures were due to death or euthanasia from drug toxicity (1 cat), progressive fungal disease (2 cats), and relapse 1 year after treatment (1 cat). The cats that improved did not undergo a 1-year posttreatment evaluation because they were lost to follow-up (3 cats), died or were euthanatized for other reasons (4 cats), or had a noncompliant owner (1 cat). For the 16 cats in which treatment was successful, the median itraconazole dose was 13.8 mg/kg body weight daily (range, 10.9 to 26.7 mg/kg/d), and the median duration of treatment was 8.5 months (range, 4 to 16 months). Five of these cats had previously been treated unsuccessfully with ketoconazole.
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: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017964:Itraconazole; D000410:Alanine Transaminase