Mabel loses her bearing

A team at a multidisciplinary referral centre have saved the life of a cat that presented with a ball bearing lodged millimetres from its brain.

The emergency, which happened early in the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, was dealt with by the team at Vale Referrals, Gloucestershire – part of the IVC Evidensia Referral Network.

Missing

Vale Referrals clinical director Richard Artingstall said: “Mabel had been missing for 24 hours, and presented to her first opinion vet with a small wound between her eyes and bilateral bloody nasal discharge, and the team here at Vale Referrals was then contacted to discuss their x-ray findings.

“The referring vet performed a sedation and a series of skull x-rays, which, to their horror, revealed a radio-opaque object within the skull – consistent with a ball bearing.”

CT

A CT of the skull was performed at Vale Referrals, which confirmed the metallic foreign body of the ethmoidal region consistent with a ball bearing.

The CT also picked up other multiple injuries to the skull and cranium – a large defect within the dorsal maxillary bone consistent with a ballistic entry point and multiple fractures of the skull (bilateral fractures of the medial orbital wall, comminuted fractures of the presphenoidal bone with resultant stenosis of the choanae and rostral nasopharynx).

It also confirmed the entry of the ball bearing had resulted in fractures to the calvarium.

Infection

Mr Artingstall added: “After much discussion it was felt that surgery should be performed to remove the foreign body, as the potential for infection and extension into the brain was significant if left in place.”

Three-hour surgery involved enlarging the entry point, and carefully debriding and removing the internal bone fragments. The ball bearing was then visualised and gently elevated from within the skull, before lavage and closure.

Mabel made a full recovery and was discharged 48 hours later.