30 Jul 2020
Neurologist saves the life of geriatric cat by successfully removing a transitional meningioma during complicated procedure.
Vet Times
Job Title
The operating team with Ben 24 hours post-surgery.
A specialist referral vet centre has saved the life of a pet cat by carrying out surgery to remove a large tumour that was severely compressing the right side of its brain.
Fabio Stabile, RCVS and European specialist in veterinary neurology at Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Essex, carried out the procedure on 16-year-old cat Ben after an MRI scan revealed the large mass that was causing unusual behaviour in the family pet.
The mass was so large, the cat’s brain was completely displayed caudally, almost herniating from the skull.
An added complication was that the tumour was positioned extremely close to one of the brain’s main blood vessels, making the operation a potentially life-threatening procedure.
Dr Stabile used the MRI images to calculate measurements and positioning of the tumour, and assess if any secondary complication was associated with it.
He said: “Ben underwent a delicate supratentorial partial craniectomy to expose and remove the tumour, which was compressing his brain.
“One of the main brain blood vessels was very close to the tumour, which made the removal very challenging indeed.”
Dr Stabile added: “If the blood vessel had been attached to, or inside, the tumour, Ben could have potentially bled to death.
“Other risks were the possibility of an epileptic seizure or brain arrest, which can happen unexpectedly during surgery.”
Happily, for Ben and his owners, the operation was a complete success, with Dr Stabile able to successfully remove the whole tumour.
He said: “A postoperative examination of the tumour revealed it was a transitional meningioma – a tumour of the meninges that wraps around the entire nervous system.”
