Cataracts in a population of Bengal cats in France

Abstract

Objective To document the clinical appearance and prevalence of cataracts in a French population of Bengal cats. Methods Two distinct populations of Bengal cats were examined as follows: (i) 51 animals recruited for evaluation of national prevalence of ocular diseases in an observational study conducted between October 2014 and November 2016 at the Alfort ophthalmology unit; (ii) 12 patients referred for cataract diagnosis examined at a veterinary eye clinic located in central France, between December 2014 and February 2016. Buccal swabs or blood samples for DNA analysis were collected from all patients. The pedigrees of the examined Bengal cats were also investigated. Results Cataracts were diagnosed in 23 of 51 (45%) cats in the observational study and in all cats in the referral population, mostly bilaterally. Visual impairment was never reported. Age of subjects affected by cataracts ranged from 3 months to 9.6 years (median: 1.9 years). Cataracts were classified as nuclear cataracts (14 of 23 in the observational group and 12 of 12 in the referral group) with a focal, perinuclear, posterior, or complete nuclear pattern, or posterior polar subcapsular cataracts (10 of 23 only in the observational group). An inherited congenital origin appears to be the most likely hypothesis. The pedigree analysis suggests a hereditary component of cataract formation, but further analyses in a larger population or test matings are needed to determine the exact mode of inheritance. Conclusion Presumed inherited cataracts appear to have a high prevalence in Bengal cats in France. The main manifestations are nuclear or subcapsular form, mostly bilateral, symmetrical, and apparently nonprogressive.

Epidemiology and clinical presentation of feline cataracts in france: A retrospective study of 268 cases

“…The stage of development was not recorded for 18 eyes (4.7%). Follow-up was available for 113 of 268 cats (42.2%) with a median duration of 3 months (IQR [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]; range: 0.5-53 months).…”

“…These cataracts had been classified as congenital due to their typical clinical manifestation and the lack of progression, but some of these cats may also have been included in presumed-hereditary cataract group, as primary cataracts with similar clinical features have been documented in various feline breeds including the Bengal, the Birman, the British Shorthair, the Persian, and the Russian Blue. [11][12][13][14][15] Interestingly, the congenital cataract observed in our study in six other cat breeds (the Chartreux, the Exotic Shorthair, the Maine Coon, the Highland Fold, the Norwegian Forest Cat, and the Siberian) could reflect an unpublished hereditary basis in these breeds.…”

“…Follow-up was available for 27 of 67 eyes (40.1%) with a median duration of 9 months (IQR [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]; range: 0.5-36 months). Evolution to hypermature cataracts was observed in two mature cataracts.…”

Outcome of phacoemulsification in 71 cats: A multicenter retrospective study (2006‐2017)

“…Glaucoma has been commonly reported as a complication in dogs following cataract surgery, with a prevalence that varies from 6.7% to 28.8%. 9,24,26,27 The glaucomas are a diverse group of diseases united only by the fact that, at least initially, IOP is too high to permit the optic nerve and, in some species, the retina to function normally. 28 Characteristic changes in glaucoma include disrupted axoplasmic flow in the optic nerve head, death of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, cupping of the optic disk, and visual impairment or blindness.…”

“…8 A recent publication describes cataracts suspected to have a hereditary component in a population of Bengal cats in France. 9 The complications and visual outcome following phacoemulsification have been reported in dogs and horses. In dogs, reported success rates are from 65%-90% over varying time periods: 90% and 65% at 12 and 24 months, respectively, 10 and 82.7% and 79% at a median of 10 and 28 months, respectively.…”