Small animal ophthalmology 2 Flashcards
Feline ophthalmology, the eye and systemic disease, ophthalmic emergencies
Describe the signs of conjunctivitis in the cat
- Ocular discharge
- Conjunctival hyperaemia
- Uncomfortable but no pain
- Pupil normal
- Sneezing and rhinitis may be seen in younger cats
Describe neonatal ophthalmia in cats
Conjunctivitis beneath eyelid before eyes open (i.e. before 10-12 days)
What are common causes of conjunctivitis in the feline eye
- Feline herpes virus
- Calicivirus
- Chlamydia felis
Describe symblepharon in the cat
- Conjunctiva becomes so ulcerated that it sticks to itself
- Unlikely to be able to restore normal anatomy, likely to have corneal scarring
Describe the appearance of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in the cat
- Eye not always sore, thickened or inflamed
- Swelling on inner surface of upper and lower eyelids associated with Meibomian glands
- Similar to styes
Outline the cause of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in the cat
- May be associted with infection
- Not fully understood
- Some inflammatory component e.g. low level chronic infection of eyelid margins
Outline the treatment of lipogranulomatous conjunctivits in the cat
May need surgery to control if leads to irritation
What is Haws syndrome of the cat?
Haws = third eyelid
Haws syndrome is prolapse of the third eyelid
Describe the typical presentation of Haws syndrome in the cat
- Vaguely unwell
- Usually presented due to looking peculiar, not other neuro signs
- Some low level lethargy
- Diarrhoea
Outline the cause and treatment of Haws syndrome in the cat
- Unknown, though to be associated with some kind of viral infection
- Dysautonomia of some sort
- Generally self limited and will spontaneously resolve
What is herpes keratitis of the feline eye?
Corneal condition caused by FHV-1
Describe the appearance of herpes keratitis in the feline eye
- Pathognomic dendritis ulcers
- Can recur (latent in trigeminal nerve)
- Assocaited with KCS, entropion, symblepharon, occluded puncta
Outline the treatment of feline herpes keratitis
- Trifluorothymidine, gancyclovir, interferon, oral lysine
- Famcyclovir oral is first choice of treatment
Describe the appearance of eosinophilic keratitis of the feline eye
- Diffuse corneal oedema, vascularisation and plaques
- Usually unilateral initially, often dorsolateral quadrant
- Plaques/deposits on cornea/limbus/conjunctiva, bizarre whitish colour resembling cottage cheese
Describe the diagnosis of eosinophilic keratitis of the feline eye
- Clinical signs
- Granulomatous inflammation on exfoliative cytology with eosinophils
Outline the treatment of eosinophilic keratitis in the feline eye
Usually responds to corticosteroids or cyclosporine but often difficult to treat and often recurs
Outline the cause of eosinophilic keratitis in the feline eye
- May be a sign of autoimmune diseases within the cornea
- Not fully understood, associated with herpes but can also occur in itself
What is corneal sequestrum of the feline eye also known as?
Corneal necrosis
Outline the causes of feline corneal sequestrum
- Unknown cause
- Some breed-predisposition (e.g. Persians) and in non-pedigree cats after corneal insult
- Some association with herpes
Describe the appearance of a feline corneal sequestrum
- Range from ill-define tea stains of corneal stroma to clearly demarcated black plaques
- Variable amount of neovascularisation
- Ulceration associated with pain
- Surface necrosis of superficial cornea
Outline the treatment of feline corneal sequestrum
- Surgical removal of plaque if risk of rupture
- Plaques may slough and spontaneously resolve
What is meant by, and give examples of, primary ocular neoplasias in the cat?
Arise within the eye itself
- Diffuse iris melanoma
- Ciliary body adenocarcinoma
Give examples of neoplasias that may cause secondary effects in the eye
- FeLV, lymphoma/lymphosarcoma
- Metastases
Describe the occurrence of diffuse iris melanomas
- Mainly seen in cat
- In cats diffuse lesions, in dogs single lesion
Describe the appearance of diffuse iris melanomas in the cat
- Generally pigmented
- Can have premelanoma stages called melanosis where there are no neoplsatic cells present yet
- Characteristic patchy dark pigmentation of iris surface, may change over time and become diffuse thickening changing iris to look abnormally thickened
Outline the treatment of diffuse iris melanoma in cats
- Look at iris stroma/iris root (drainage angle) and ultrasound to assess if stroma is thickening
- Can leave or be proactive
- Ablation of iris to prevent tumour spread
- Enucleation to prevent metastasis, even if eye is otherwise functional
Describe the ocular signs that may occur with lymphoma or leukaemia virus in cats
- Change in colour, hyperaemia
- Nodular appearance, with slit lamp see these as nodular thickenings
- Ocular signs associated with severe lymphoreticular disease
Compare the occurence of cataracts in cats and dogs
Uncommon in cats vs dogs
List the potential causes of cataracts in the feline eye
- CAn be inherited and present at different stages of life
- Associated with intraocular inflammation
- Inflammation e.g. uveitis
- Encephalitozoon cuniculi
- Post traumatic ocular sarcoma
Explain why E. cuniculi may cause cataracts in cats
Has tropism for the lens
Explain how trauma may lead to cataracts
Once lens is breached, have increased risk of tumour e.g. ocular sarcoma, forming later in life. Is specific to cats
Describe the presentation of anterior uveitis in cats
- Insidious onset
- May see iris hyperaemia, iris nodules, keratitis precipitates
What are the main 4 causes implicated in uveitis in cats?
- FeLV
- FIV
- FIP
- Toxoplasmosis
(idiopathic also common)
Outline the diagnosis of uveitis in the cat
- Tests for the most common causes of uveitis
- Ophthalmic examination
- Blood profile
- FeLV/FIV testing
- Serology and PCR
- Radiography and ultrasound
- Cytology and histopathology
- Referral to specialist
- In most cases, ophthalmic exam, best guess diagnosis, empirical treatment and assessment of response to therapy form basis of diagnosis
What are keratitic precipitates in the feline eye?
Inflammatory products (WBCs etc) adhering to the cornea. Cause unknown. Aka mutton fat deposits
Describe the appearance of the normal feline retina
- More uniform than dog, optic discs smaller and rounder, surrounded by pigment ring
- No venous cricle
- Generally 3 arterioles
- Tapetum more uniformly greenish yellow
- More vivid colour than dogs
Describe the appearance of the feline retina with taurine deficiency
- Leads to retinal degeneration
- Band-shaped lesion dorsal to optic disc horizontally
- Progressing to generalised degeneration and blindness
Describe the appearance of choroidal metastases in the cat
- Sight deficiency, optic nerve and vessels very abnormal, patchy hazy areas
- Metastatic spread from pulmonary carcinoma
- Forms thromboembolism
Discuss the importance of a retinal exam in older cats
- retinal hypertension common in older cats, indicaive of disease
- can lead to retinal detachment or retinal haemorrhaging
- Often no particular signs until too late
- Need to identify and treat the underlying condition
List the common causes of hypertension in geriatric cats
- renal disease
- Hyperthyroidism
- Conn’s disease (tumour of adrenocortical gland leading to hyperaldosteronism)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Essential hypertension