Radioiodine therapy in veterinary medicine: Treatment of hyperthyroidism in a cat

A nine-year-old cat with symptoms of a distinct hyperthyroidism was present ed at the University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen. The clinical symptoms as well as the diagnostic procedures performed at the hospital confirmed the d iagnosis. After five weeks of thyreostatic medication a regular metabolism of the thyroid gland was established, followed by a radioiodine therapy wit h 70.3 MBq 131-iodine. Subsequently the cat was hospitalized for two days b efore it could be released in good condition. Six weeks after treatment the former drastically reduced weight of the cat recovered to near normal. Eve n though the chemical analysis detected a discrete hyperthyroidism, clinica l symptoms were no longer prominent. Three months after treatment, the fina l examination showed a regular metabolism of the thyroid gland without a sp ecific thyroidal medication. The presented case illustrates that radioiodin e therapy is a safe and efficient treatment of thyroidal dysfunctions in ve terinary medicine.