Maine Coon head tilt and loss of balance due to a polyp in the middle ear

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This is a little health article which I've gleaned from the Internet. I thought that polyps in the ears of domestic cats were quite rare, but my research indicates otherwise. They are benign growths that often originate in the middle ear and eustachian tube. 

The condition can become chronic and infected because it is hidden, and it takes a while for symptoms to develop and become visible to cat caregivers. 

This is a polyp in another cat. Image: Vet Folio.

There can be inflammation which can lead to ataxia (loss of balance and coordination) and a classic head tilt which we see with the more common vestibular disease.

In this instance a 15-month-old Maine Coon was suffering from a discharge from the ear. They had progressive head tilt and a loss of balance and coordination. The cat did not blink on the right side.

A polyp is a tissue growth and this one occurred inside the middle ear, developing into an inflammatory polyp which caused chronic severe inflammation with production of bacterial fluid. The liquid was presumably going out of the ear through the canal. I presume that the eardrum was broken.

The cat had an operation to remove the tissue mass. Afterwards the cat was administered with antibiotics. The infected polyp had produced the following bacteria: Staphylococcus auricularis, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Peptostreptococcus anaerobiu. The former is a bacterium which is mainly found on the skin of humans, mammals and birds. The other two are other species of bacteria.

Clearly, the polyp became infected, and bacteria grew in the mucus and liquid produced. After 10 weeks treatment with amoxicillin/clavulinic acid ('Augmentin' an antibiotic) and metronidazole (an antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication) there was a dramatic improvement in terms of energy level, balance, appetite and bodyweight. The right-side paralysis of the face resolved but the head tilt did not.

This little Maine Coon cat health story might benefit a cat owner or Maine Coon cat owner if they are suffering from a head tilt due to an unknown cause.

Note: the study reporting on the health issue is titled: 

INFLAMMATORY POLYP IN THE MIDDLE EAR WITH SECONDARY SUPPURATIVE MENINGOENCEPHALITIS IN A CAT. It is published on the Wiley Online Library.

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