Surgical management of bilateral symblepharon accompanied by ankyloblepharon in a cat

Year 2025, Volume: 96 Issue: 1, 62 - 67, 15.01.2025

Cemre Işık Şimşek , İrem Ergin , Oytun Okan Şenel

https://doi.org/10.33188/vetheder.1528679

Abstract

Feline herpesvirus infections, frequently observed in cats, lead to chronic conjunctival adhesions resulting in vision impairment in affected animals, following intense inflammatory responses occurring in the eye and periocular tissues. These adhesions are classified as symblepharon or ankyloblepharon according to the anatomical types. This case report describes the clinical evaluation of symblepharon and ankyloblepharon seen together in a kitten, along with the treatment approach. In the study, a 3-month-old male kitten, presented with bilateral eyelid deformations and extensive conjunctival adhesions on the cornea, was diagnosed with severe symblepharon and ankyloblepharon. Subsequently, surgical intervention was performed and the adhesions were carefully separated. During the surgery, it was observed that the conjunctiva did not adhere to the cornea and limbus area. In the animal that experienced a sole postoperative recurrence, growth and adhesion were observed exclusively in the palpebral conjunctivae, which were subsequently removed and supported with medical treatment. No recurrence was observed in the cat, which was followed for approximately 5 months.

Keywords

Adhesion, Conjunctivalization, Feline Herpesvirus Type-1 (FHV-1), Limbal deficiency

Bir kedide bilateral ankiloblefaronun eşlik ettiği simblefaronun cerrahi yönetimi

Abstract

Kedilerde sıkça görülen felin herpesvirus enfeksiyonları, göz ve çevresindeki dokularda meydana gelen şiddetli yangısal reaksiyonlar sonrasında, kronik konjunktival yapışıklıklara yol açarak, etkilenen hayvanlarda görme kaybına neden olur. Bu yapışıklıklar anatomik türlerine göre simblefaron veya ankiloblefaron olarak sınıflandırılır. Bu olgu sunumu, bir yavru kedide birlikte görülen simblefaron ve ankiloblefaronun klinik değerlendirmesini ve tedavi yaklaşımını tanımlamaktadır. Çalışmada, her iki göz kapağında deformasyonlar ve kornea üzerinde yaygın konjunktival yapışıklıklar ile getirilen 3 aylık erkek yavru kedi, şiddetli simblefaron ve ankiloblefaron tanısı aldı. Ardından cerrahi müdahale yapılarak yapışıklıklar dikkatlice ayrıldı. Cerrahi sırasında konjunktivanın kornea ve limbus bölgesine yapışmadığı gözlemlendi. Tek bir postoperatif nüks yaşayan hayvanda, adezyonlar sadece palpebral konjunktivada gözlemlendi ve bunlar daha sonra uzaklaştırılarak medikal sağaltım ile desteklendi. Yaklaşık 5 ay takip edilen kedide nüks gözlenmedi.

Keywords

Adezyon, Felin Herpesvirus Tip-1, Konjunktivalizasyon, Limbal yetmezlik

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