Malpracticein diagnose bilateral feline cryptorchidism

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe a case of malpractice in the diagnosis of bilateral inguinal cryptorchidism in a cat. A cat was attended at the Teachdfring Veterinary Hospital. The owner requested elective spaying. The owner declared it to be a female. Blood tests and ultrasound were performed to discard pregnancy. The animal was referred for routine ovariohysterectomy (OH). However, it was not possible to locate the ovaries and uterus and the laparotomy was finished. In the immediate postoperative period, the external genitalia was examined again. In this examination, the penis was located, but the testicles were not detected. The animal was released and thirty days later returned for further consultation. On this occasion, a thorough physical examination and ultrasound examination of the inguinal region were performed. In this exam it was verified that the animal presented inguinal cryptorchidism. Cryptorchidism in cats is often diagnosed during physical examination, but ultrasound (US) is useful in diagnosing cryptorchidism. The animal was submitted to orchiectomy and, during the surgical procedure, both testicles were located, characterizing bilateral inguinal cryptorchidism. Although the ectopic testicles in the inguinal region may be covered by a fatty plaque, making palpation difficult, the cat's penis can be seen through simple manual exposure. Probably such a maneuver was not performed in the first consultation, which led to an error in the identification of sex. It was concluded that the detailed evaluation in the physical exam is of fundamental importance in any surgical procedure.