Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION
A 2-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for recurring estrous behavior after ovariohysterectomy and 2 subsequent exploratory laparotomies.
CLINICAL FINDINGS
Physical examination revealed no abnormalities. A serum sample tested positive for anti-Müllerian hormone and had a progesterone concentration consistent with the presence of an ovarian remnant. Results of abdominal ultrasonographic examination suggested presence of a slightly hyperechoic mass caudal to the left kidney.
TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
Exploratory laparotomy was performed when the cat was showing estrous behavior. Tissues at the right and left ovarian pedicles and the uterine stump appeared grossly normal but were excised and submitted for histologic examination. Two small nodules associated with the omentum were removed, and histologic examination results for one of these nodules indicated ovarian tissue with secondary and graafian follicles. Clinical signs of estrus resolved after surgery, and hormonal assay results were within ranges expected for an ovariectomized cat.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
To the authors’ knowledge, the present case represented the first clinical report of ovarian remnant syndrome in a cat or dog in which persistent ovarian tissue was not found at the site of an ovarian pedicle. Our findings emphasized the importance of exploring the entire abdominal cavity when evaluating a patient for possible ovarian remnant tissue and confirming the excision of ovarian remnant tissue by histologic assessment.
