Nasopharyngeal polyp in Cats (Felis) | Vetlexicon
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Nasopharyngeal polyp

ISSN 2398-2950

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Introduction

  • Cause: not definitely known. May be associated with upper respiratory tract infection and otitis media.
  • Signs: pedunculated growths usually found in kittens/young cats.
  • May involve middle ear, oropharynx, or nasopharynx.
  • Can interfere with respiration.
  • Diagnosis: history, clinical signs, endoscopy and histopathology.
  • Treatment: surgery.
  • Prognosis: good to excellent after surgery.
    Print off the owner factsheet on Nasopharyngeal polyps Nasopharyngeal polyps to give to your client.

Presenting signs

  • Stertor   →   obstruction of nasopharynx.
  • Dyspnea   →   obstruction of nasopharynx.
  • Chronic nasal discharge (unilateral usually)  Nasal discharge  Unilateral nasal discharge .
  • Otitis and aural discharge   →   polyp in middle ear.
  • Dysphagia associated with mass lesion in nasopharynx.
  • Vestibular signs/Horner's syndrome Horner's syndrome  →   polyp extending into middle ear.

Acute presentation

  • Dyspnea if obstruction of upper respiratory tract.

Age predisposition

  • Most common in young adult cats.
  • Age range of 3 months to 15 years reported.

Special risks

Pathogenesis

Etiology

Pathophysiology

  • Consist of inflammatory fibrovascular connective tissue covered by stratified squamous or ciliated columnar epithelium.
  • Inflammation may affect Eustachian tube function, mucociliary dysfunction and hypersecretion of mucus.
  • Secondary infection may lead to formation of granulation tissue.
  • Polyps may extend from Eustachian tube into:
    • Nasopharynx (respiratory signs).
    • External ear canal (via tympanic membrane - aural polyp).
  • May be associated with secondary infection   →   nasal discharge.
  • Depending on location   →   respiratory obstruction, otitis Otitis externa, vestibular disease, Horner's syndrome Horner's syndrome.

Timecourse

  • Weeks/months.

Epidemiology

  • Etiology not definitely known.
  • Usually found in young cats/kittens.

Diagnosis

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Treatment

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Prevention

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Outcomes

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Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
  • Reed N & Gunn-Moore D (2012) Nasopharyngeal disease in cats 1. Diagnostic investigation. J Feline Med Surg 14 (5), 306-315 PubMed.
  • Reed N & Gunn-Moore D (2012) Nasopharyngeal disease in cats 2. Specific conditions and their management. J Feline Med Surg 14 (5), 317-326 PubMed.
  • Klose T C, MacPhail C M, Schultheiss P C et al (2010) Prevalence of select infectious agents in inflammatory aural and nasopharyngeal polyps from client owned cats. J Feline Med Surg 12 (10), 769-774 PubMed.
  • Veir J K, Lappin M R, Foley J E et al (2002) Feline inflammatory polyps: historical, clinical and PCR findings for feline calicivirus and feline herpes virus-1 in 28 cases. J Feline Med Surg (4), 195-199 PubMed.
  • Muilenburg R K & Fry T R (2002) Feline nasopharyngeal polyps. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 32 (4), 839-849 PubMed.
  • Anderson D M, Robinson R K & White R A (2000) Management of inflammatory polyps in 37 cats. JSAP 147 (24), 684-687 PubMed.
  • Kopatkin A S, Mathiesen D T, Noon K E et al (1990) Results of surgery and long-term follow-up in 31 cats with nasopharyngeal polyps. JAAHA 26 (4), 387-392 VetMedResource.

Other sources of information

  • Holt D E (2004) Nasopharynngeal polyps. In: Textbook of Respiratory diseases in the Dog and Cat. Ed. King L G, St Louis, Saunders, pp 310-316.
  • Little C J L (1997) Nasopharyngeal polyps. In: Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine 3 Ed. August J R. W B Saunders & Co. pp 310-316.