Brachycephalic syndrome

From Felipedia

Both Persian and Exotic shorthair cats have facial anterior-posterior flattening, predisposing them to chronic upper respiratory (primarily sinusitis, and snoring), dysphagia (difficulty grasping food) and epiphora (watering of the eyes). Breeding over the last 50 years have exacerbated these diseases due to a preponderance of breeders selecting for more exaggerated facial appearances^[1].

A grading system for brachycephalia has been devised by Schlueter et al (2009) from I (mild) to IV (severe);

• Category I - mild degree of brachycephalia with clearly developed facial and neurocranial bones
• Category II - moderate degree of brachycephalia with reduced nasal bones and a rounded or even apple-shaped neurocranium
• Category III - profound degree of brachycephalia with pronounced rotation of the jaw and the upper canine teeth are obvious, with reduced nasal bones. The tip of the nose is also usually higher than the lower eyelid
• category IV - severe brachycephalia with horizontally positioned upper canne teeth, a high grade of dosrsorotation of the jaw and a rounded neurocranium^[2].

The respiratory complications of brachycephalic cats are usually related to mechanical interruption of air flow through the nasal passages resulting in chronic irritation of nasal and tracheal epithelium.

Epiphora is a compound problem of reduced nasolacrimal drainage (due to mechanical obstruction of ducts), congenital atresia of the lacrimal puncta and nasolacrimal duct.

Low grade bilateral entropion and gingivitis are common sequela as well.

References

1. ↑ Pfeiffer, RL, et al (1999) Fundamentals of veterinary ophthalmology. In: Gelatt KN, ed. Veterinary Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Williams and Wilkins; pp: 355-427
2. ↑ Schlueter C, et al (2009) Brachycephalic feline noses - CT and anatomical study of the relationship between head conformation and the nasolacrimal drainage system. JFMS 11: 891-900