Extravasation injury associated with parenteral nutrition in a cat with presumptive gastrinomas

To describe the pathologic consequences of parenteral nutrition (PN) extravasation into the mediastinum of a cat.

An 8-year-old domestic short hair cat with persistent vomiting and anorexia was initiated on PN for nutritional support. PN was being administered at a rate of 12.9 mL/h when inadvertent jugular catheter migration resulted in thrombophlebitis and cellulitis and 40-80 mL of PN extravasated into the SC and mediastinal tissues. The cat was euthanized 36 hours after the extravasation of PN due to poor prognosis related to the gastric complications associated with a presumed primary gastrinoma. Grossly there was excessive mediastinal lymphatic drainage and pronounced edema in the cervical SC and mediastinal tissue. Histopathologic examination of the PN-extravasated area revealed a severe mixed inflammatory reaction, represented by a severe neutrophilic and mild histiocytic infiltrate with lymphoplasmacytic perivascular cuffing. No bacterial agents were observed or cultured from this area.

This is the first case report of a foreign body-type reaction due to extravasation of PN (extravasation injury) in a cat. Extravasation of PN is not without pathologic consequence, and can result in a severe inflammatory reaction in affected tissues.