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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #143: Feline Nasopharyngeal Polyp

Cat veterinary case - Easy - July 24, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A young cat is examined for stertorous breathing and chronic unilateral nasal discharge.
  2. The owner has also noticed intermittent gagging and noisy swallowing.
  3. One ear has shown signs of irritation and mild head tilt.
  4. Sedated oral examination reveals a smooth pale mass extending from the nasopharynx.
  5. The lesion is inflammatory rather than malignant in appearance.
  6. Nasopharyngeal polyps commonly cause upper airway noise and middle ear signs in young cats.

Diagnosis

Feline Nasopharyngeal Polyp

This case is most consistent with Feline Nasopharyngeal Polyp because the cat has upper airway noise, nasal discharge, and a visible benign inflammatory mass in the nasopharynx. The most important clues are the young age and mixed nasal-ear signs, which make a simple rhinitis less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this cat case supports the provided diagnosis, Feline Nasopharyngeal Polyp, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A young cat is examined for stertorous breathing and chronic unilateral nasal discharge.
  2. Clue 2: The owner has also noticed intermittent gagging and noisy swallowing.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: One ear has shown signs of irritation and mild head tilt.
  2. Clue 4: Sedated oral examination reveals a smooth pale mass extending from the nasopharynx.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: The lesion is inflammatory rather than malignant in appearance.
  2. Clue 6: Nasopharyngeal polyps commonly cause upper airway noise and middle ear signs in young cats.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this cat case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Feline Nasopharyngeal Polyp?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Feline Nasopharyngeal Polyp?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.