Feline uveitis: a clinical and serological study of 44 cases

French study suggests link between feline uveitis and Toxoplasma

Source: M. Roze
The European Journal of Companion Animal Practice Vol IX (2) October 1999
starts p 149, 8 pages long

A study of 44 cats suffering from feline uveitis suggests links between this condition and Toxoplasma Gondii. The cats underwent both ophthalmologic examination, and had serological tests for Toxoplasma Gondii, FeLV and FIV. Anterior uveitis was found in 79.5% of the cases, the most common symptoms being low intra ocular pressure, and aqueous flare. Posterior uveitis was diagnosed in 22.7% of the cases. Cataracts were found in nine cases, lens luxation was found in eight cases, and glaucoma in seven cases.
Changes affecting the iris were noted in 34 cats. The iris often becomes darker as a result of uveitis. The anterior chamber was cloudy in 27 cats. Feline uveitis can have a number of causes, such as tumours, traumas, hypertension, parasitic, bacterial and viral agents, and multiple myeloma, but the precise cause of a particular case of uveitis is usually unknown. Vets may not always carry out serological tests, due to the costs involved for the cat owner.

The cats in this study were aged between 2.5 months and 16-years-old, with those whose uveitis was caused by tumours or trauma excluded from the study. The average age of the group as a whole was 9.4 years, rising to 13.1 years for spayed females, 10.8 years for neutered males, 9.5 for entire females, and falling to 3.5 years for entire males. There were 20 neutered males, 14 spayed females, five entire males and five entire females in the study. A positive serology was found in 25 cats for toxoplasmosis, while six were
FIV positive, five being positive both to FIV and toxoplasmosis. Four cats were FeLV positive, with two also positive for toxoplasmosis. The toxoplasma positive cats had an average age of 10.3 years.

Timing of tests is important in establishing a clear link between toxoplasmosis and uveitis, but toxoplasmosis does appear to be responsible for some cases.
CA,HD