Diffuse Alveolar damage in a young cat

Abstract

A 10-month-old cat was diagnosed with congenital subvalvular aortic stenosis. To resolve its hypoxia, oxygen therapy wasadministered a couple of times a week during two months. The oxygen partial pressure in the chamber was maintained between 30 and35%, and the time for one procedure was 12-24 hr. The animal died due to severe respiratory failure. At necropsy, the lungs werevoluminous and had a rubbery texture. Histologically, large type II pneumocytes with occasional atypia had diffusely proliferated withinthe lungs. Interstitial fibrosis was not observed, although some alveolar septa were thickened along with fibrinous exudates and neutrophilicinfiltration. The histology of these lesions was consistent with diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), which might have been partiallydue to oxygen toxicity.