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Published on: September 25, 2016
[Computed tomography diagnosis of a retrobulbar abscess in a white tiger]
P Dziallas1, A Becker, B Bösing
1Klinik für Kleintiere, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover.
Subject:
Etiologic diagnosis of a retrobulbar process is essential for the initiation of a causative therapy. Penetrating foreign bodies and tooth root abscesses, but also neoplastic processes have to be considered as a differential diagnosis for a retrobulbar swelling. The objective of this case report of a tiger with a retrobulbar process was to demonstrate the diagnostic value of computed tomography for making a causative diagnosis.
Material And Methods:
General examination of the tiger as well as subsequent computed tomography and surgical extraction of a fractured fourth premolar tooth of the left upper jaw was carried out under general anaesthesia. Collected alveolar tissue samples underwent cytological, histopathological and microbiological analyses.
Results And Clinical Relevance:
Computed tomography was able to allocate the origin of the retrobulbar abscess to the left 4th premolar tooth of the upper jaw. The cytological, histopathological and microbiological examination of the recovered alveolar material confirmed the diagnosis of purulent-necrotic abscess-forming inflammation as a result of a mixed bacterial infection. The present case report demonstrates the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography for the diagnosis of a retrobulbar process of unknown origin.
