ALISON LAURIE-CHALMERS: How to deal with ear infections with your cats and the warning signs
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Yoda was a wonderfully affectionate, 13-year-old, male cat brought several times with recurrent ear infections. These were becoming more and more frequent, and on a thorough scoping of his ear canals it was noted he had developed lesions, numerous blueish masses, within both.
These were obstructing the ear canals and undoubtedly the cause of his infections. Yoda had symptoms of Ceruminous gland ear tumours.
Ceruminous glands are located within the deeper skin layers of the external ear canal. The most common tumour of the ear canal is ceruminal gland in origin, and these are more common in cats than dogs. Ceruminous gland tumours are a neoplasia of the apocrine sweat glands found in the external ear canal. They affect older cats most commonly and can be benign or malignant.
Lesions may develop because of chronic inflammations and ear infections: otitis externa; as a degenerative change in older cats; or, in some cases, it can be congenital.
Signs include smelly ears, ear discharge, head shaking and scratching, bleeding from the affected ear canal if the masses are self-traumatised, and a history of recurrent ear infections.
One report has noted tumours of the ceruminous glands accounted for over 40 per cent of external ear masses evaluated in cats, and that they are most often benign. Malignant, cancerous ceruminous gland tumours, termed adenocarcinoma lesions, tend to be more destructive ulcerative and infiltrating to surrounding tissues rather than the simply obstructive and occlusive lesions caused by benign adenomas. Also, malignant tumours tend to affect one ear and benign masses tend to affect both.
The classic appearance of ceruminous adenoma masses is of multiple, often numerous, punctuate nodules, lumps or vesicles, starting at usually less than two mm in diameter, within the external ear canal and on the inner ear flap. They are generally darkish blue or brown or a greyish blue-black and usually confined to the external ear canal.
A confirmed diagnosis is based on an examination of tissue samples and treatment depends on the severity of the mass lesion. The best treatment will depend on many factors, including the type and location of the tumour. Topical treatments can relieve the secondary ear infection and any inflammation. Also, as research shows food allergies can also play a role, a food trial can be trialled for a minimum of eight weeks.
Surgery is usually reserved for more severe cases. Options include a lateral ear canal resection or total surgical ablation of the affected ear canal and surgical removal of the affected ear flaps to allow a more open ear canal and increased comfort. Laser therapy is also effective, enabling ablation of the tumours with little collateral tissue damage. Surgery or laser treatment are followed up with regular cleaning and topical drops, to try to minimise recurrence of the cysts.
Yoda’s lesions were diagnosed as benign. He had ear canal ablation surgeries on both ears over a period of months, with a healing gap allowed between each surgery. He had on-going daily ear drops and regular ear cleaning and check-ups.
He lived a happy life into older teenage years.
Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant with Crown Vets in Inverness.
