title: Successful treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis in a cat.
abstract: A 7-year-old, spayed female Domestic Longhair cat was evaluated for a 6-week history of coughing. Thoracic radiography revealed a pleural effusion. Thoracic ultrasound revealed a pleural effusion and a focal lung mass. The cat underwent exploratory thoracotomy and a total left pneumonectomy was performed. Histopathology and cultures revealed fungal pneumonia and pyothorax caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. Abdominal ultrasound, repeat thoracic radiography, urinalysis with culture, and retroviral screening failed to detect evidence of systemic disease. The cat's poorly regulated diabetes mellitus is suspected to be the predisposing factor allowing a fungal pulmonary infection to become established. At 18 months after surgery the cat was still disease-free. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of successful treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis in the cat.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Veterinary Specialists, Stafford Heights, Queensland 4053, Australia. karenhazell74@hotmail.com
authors.forename: K L A
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hazell
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D055732:Pulmonary Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000662:veterinary; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000662:veterinary; D016896:Treatment Outcome