Ocular disease associated with hypertension in 16 cats

Between 1990 and 1993, 16 cats were referred with acute onset blindness or intraocular haemorrhage. Blood pressure assessment, using the Doppler ultrasonic recording technique in 11 of the cats, proved these cases to be hypertensive. Fifteen cats underwent further investigation, revealing 13 with some degree of renal impairment and one as hyperthyroid. Five underwent cardiac ultrasound and all showed evidence of cardiac hypertrophy. The eyes from four of the cats were examined histologically and showed serous or haemorrhagic retinal detachments with varying degrees of retinal degeneration and a range of ocular hypertensive vascular changes. Two cats had full post mortem examinations which revealed evidence of renal and thyroid pathology.