Feline chronic rhinosinusitis is long-lasting inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses that usually follows early viral infection. Many cats sneeze and snuffle for life after "cat flu" as a kitten. The skill the NAVLE rewards is deciding that a cat with chronic nasal discharge has this disease only after the serious look-alikes have been excluded.
Key facts
Chronic sinusitis at a glance- Species and system: cat, upper respiratory tract (nasal cavity, turbinates, frontal sinuses).
- Cause: acute infection with feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV) damages the mucosa and turbinates; secondary bacteria then keep the inflammation going.
- Classic presentation: chronic mucoid to mucopurulent nasal discharge, sneezing and snoring (stertor), often bilateral, in a cat with a history of upper respiratory disease.
- Diagnosis: by exclusion, using CT, rhinoscopy and biopsy; a specific cause is found in only about a third of chronic cases.
- Management: long-term control, not cure; culture-guided antimicrobials when infection is evident, plus supportive care.
- Zoonosis: none for FHV-1 or FCV (host specific).
What's inside
11 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 11 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.