Case Report: Severe bronchiectasis in three kittens with detection of Mycoplasma felis: radiographic and computed tomography findings

Bronchiectasis, a congenital or acquired condition, is rarely described in kittens. The following case series reports the radiographic and computed tomography (CT) findings in three kittens (aged less than 6 months) presenting with severe bronchiectasis and concurrent detection of
Mycoplasma felis
. Medical records, thoracic radiographs, and CT scans were reviewed. Radiographic and CT examinations were independently assessed for the distribution and type of bronchiectasis, airway content, pulmonary changes (atelectasis, hyperinflation, consolidation, bronchial wall thickening), pleural abnormalities (pleural effusion, pleural thickening, and pneumothorax), and lymphadenopathy. Interstitial pattern was assessed on thoracic radiographs, whereas ground-glass attenuation and mosaic attenuation were assessed on CT images. Bronchiectasis was classified as cylindrical, varicose, or saccular. Varicose bronchiectasis was identified in the three kittens (3/3) by radiography and CT. Saccular bronchiectasis was detected in one kitten on radiographs and in two kittens on CT scans, whereas cylindrical bronchiectasis was not identified by either imaging modality. Lesions mainly affected a single hemithorax and primarily involved the caudal lung lobes. Moderate to severe atelectasis was consistently present in affected lobes, with compensatory hyperinflation of the contralateral lung in all cases. CT provided additional diagnostic information compared with radiography, particularly for the detection and characterization of bronchial content and lymphadenopathy.
Mycoplasma felis
was detected in all kittens by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Histopathological findings, available in two of the three kittens, supported the diagnosis of bronchiectasis.