Codo is feline fine following brain surgery

A British Blue cat has undergone laser-assisted brain surgery to dissect and remove a forebrain meningioma at Davies Veterinary Specialists.

Twelve-year-old Codo hadn’t been himself for a couple of months and his owners booked an appointment with the neurology service at the veterinary hospital.

Neurology resident Victoria Argent spotted an inconsistent menace response in Codo’s right eye – a clue that all might not be well. Given the information provided by his history, and the fact that his eyes were normal, he was diagnosed with a problem affecting his left forebrain. Subsequently an MRI scan revealed a large growth, causing compression of the occipital and temporal lobes.

“Although it’s impossible to be certain without taking a sample, this had the typical appearance of a meningioma,” said head of neurology and diagnostic imaging Pete Smith, who carried out the surgery. “Meningiomas in cats are typically slow-growing and, if they can be successfully removed, the outlook for patients is very good.”

The operation involved removing a section of the skull directly overlying the tumour, allowing a margin to be delineated between the tumour and normal brain tissue. Codo received anaesthetic care from anaesthetist Heide Klöppel throughout his operation and recovered from the procedure without any significant complications.

“He was sitting up by himself later the same evening and started to show an interest in food the following day,” said Smith. “He became progressively more aware of his surroundings and responsive to having a fuss and was discharged home two days later.”

The tumour was sent for histopathological analysis and was confirmed as a meningioma, with a very low rate of cell division.

Lead picture: Codo’s MRI scan.

Published on page 16 of the March 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.