COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF INFLAMMATORY POLYPS IN 3 CATS

This report describes the use of computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the inner ear, tympanic bullae, nasopharyngeal area, and external ear canals of three cats. All cats presented for evaluation of upper respi ratory signs or chronic ear infection. Nasopharyngeal masses were pres ent in two cats, and a mass in the external ear canal was present in t he third cat. In all three cats, CT was able to define the extent of o sseous bulla involvement, which was confirmed at surgery. Computed tom ography also defined the extent of the polyp in the nasopharyngeal are a in two cats, and in the external ear canal in one cat. Surgical remo val of the polyps was accomplished with a combined oral approach and v entral bulla osteotomy in cats 1 and 2. The polyp was removed from cat 3 using a combination of ventral bulla osteotomy and excision of the mass through the external ear canal. Microscopic examination confirmed all masses as nasopharyngeal (inflammatory) polyps.