A case of combined bilothorax and bile peritonitis secondary to gunshot wounds in a cat

Abstract

This report describes a case of bile peritonitis and bilothorax associated with diaphragmatic laceration secondary to gunshot wounds in a cat. Surgical treatment comprising cholecystectomy, placement of a chest tube for thoracic lavage and tube feeding led to an uneventful recovery. Bilothorax and bile peritonitis are a rare presentation in cats. There are only four cases reported in the literature and combined bilothorax and bile peritonitis secondary to gunshot lesion has not been documented before. This report describes positioning of the chest tube for pleural lavage through the diaphragmatic defect created by a pellet’s trajectory. The tube was then allowed to exit the laparotomy incision instead of exiting the thoracic wall.