Walker M.C.
Fel Prac, 1998. 26(5): p.10-12.
This case report describes the treatment of hyperthyroidism in a 8 1/2 year old female spayed Domestic Shorthair with intrathyroid injection of ethanol. The cat had been only partially responsive to I-131 treatment 4 weeks previously. The percutaneous ethanol injections were given 4 times over a 6-week period. The cat became acutely dyspneic shortly after the last treatment. Bilateral laryngeal paralysis was diagnosed and surgically corrected. Repeated serum thyroxin measurements and thyroid scintigraphy showed a marked decrease in the size and function of the treated thyroid lobe. The authors believe that although this technique has been proven to be effective in humans, further study should be conducted in animals before recommending it as an acceptable treatment modality in the cat.