Computed Tomographic Findings of Fungal Rhinitis and Sinusitis in Cats

Abstract

The computed tomographic (CT) findings of fungal rhinitis/sinusitis in cats were characterized. The CT images of 10 cats ranging in age from 7 to 13 years were examined. The mean age was 10.8 years and all were neutered males. Nasal aspergillosis was diagnosed in five cats, cryptococcosis in three cats, hyalohyphomycosis in one cat, and trichosporonosis in one cat. Bilateral disease was present in eight cats, seven had abnormal soft tissue attenuation in two-thirds of the nasal cavity, and six had turbinate lysis. Seven cats had also lysis of the hard palate, nasal septum, or frontal bone. One cat had lysis of the cribriform plate. Five of the nine cats whose lymph nodes were imaged had lymph node enlargement. There was contrast medium enhancement in the nasal cavity in all cats, with either a primarily peripheral rim or heterogeneous pattern. There appears to be an overlap of clinical signs, age, and CT features of cats with nasal neoplasia and those with fungal rhinitis/ sinusitis.

Computed tomographic features of feline sino-nasal and sino-orbital aspergillosis

“…Post-contrast features of orbital masses are similar to those reported in SOA in people and in mycotic rhinosinusitis due to non-Aspergillus spp, including cryptococcosis, in cats, (Karnik et al, 2009;Pushker et al, 2011;Sivak-Callcott et al, 2004). Central hypoattenuating foci have been interpreted as areas of necrosis and peripheral enhancement as inflammatory response (Almutairi et al, 2009;DeLone et al, 1999).…”

“…Criteria for CT evaluation, adapted from a previous study (Karnik et al, 2009), included amount and laterality of soft-tissue attenuation within the SNC; extension of lesions within the NC; lysis and/or sclerosis of the bones forming the NC (turbinates, septum, nasal bone and adjacent maxilla) and paranasal bones (frontal bone, orbital bone (orbital lamina), palatine bone, zygomatic bone, tympanic bullae and cribriform plate); nasopharyngeal (NP) involvement, paranasal soft-tissue involvement and lymph-node involvement. Severity of NC lesions was graded as none, minimal (affecting less than one third), moderate (affecting two thirds) or severe (affecting more than twothirds).…”

“…Feline upper respiratory tract aspergillosis (URTA), first described in 1982, (Wilkinson et al, 1982), is being increasingly reported (Barachetti et al, 2009;Barrs et al, 2012;Declercq et al, 2012;Furrow and Groman, 2009;Giordano et al, 2010;Kano et al, 2008;Kano et al, 2013;Karnik et al, 2009;Smith and Hoffman, 2010). Disease occurs over a wide geographic range, including Australia, the USA, the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and Japan (Barrs et al, 2012;Barrs et al, 2013;Declercq et al, 2012;Goodall et al, 1984;Kano et al, 2013;Smith and Hoffman, 2010;Tomsa et al, 2003).…”

“…Descriptions of computed tomography (CT) findings in cats with URTA are limited to case reports (Barachetti et al, 2009;Furrow and Groman, 2009;Giordano et al, 2010;Halenda and Reed, 1997;Hamilton et al, 2000;Kano et al, 2008;McLellan et al, 2006;Smith and Hoffman, 2010;Whitney et al, 2005), and one case series of mycotic rhinitis that included five cats with URTA but did not distinguish between SNA and SOA or identify the aetiological agents (Karnik et al, 2009). The objectives of this study were to describe the CT features of URTA, to determine whether cats with SOA have concurrent 3 | P a g e involvement of the SNC, and to determine if there was any association between CT features and the form of aspergillosis and/or infecting species.…”

Avaliação radiográfica e tomográfica dos seios nasais de gatos com doenças sinonasais crônicas

“…Por essa capacidade, a TC auxilia na escolha do tratamento e para a realização de biopsias ou rinoscopias (Johnson e Wisner, 2007). Os achados frequentemente observados na TC de gatos com doença sinonasal incluem opacificação da cavidade nasal e seios nasais, lise dos ossos nasal e frontal e destruição dos turbinados nasais (Tromblee et al, 2006;Karnik et al, 2009;Scrivani, 2009). …”