Acute necrotizing pneumonia associated with barium aspiration in a cat

Barium sulphate is an insoluble contrast medium that is commonly used for radiography of the digestive tract. During examination, aspiration of barium might occur and cause severe complications in both humans and animals. In this report, a case of barium aspiration during gastrointestinal examination of a four-year-old, spayed, female Persian cat is described. Radiographic and pathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of barium aspiration.