Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bicavitary fluid buildup in cats causes and outcomes
By Hardwick, Joshua J et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery·2024·Cave Veterinary Specialists (part of Linnaeus Veterinary), Wellington, UK, United Kingdom·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Bicavitary effusion in cats: retrospective analysis of signalment, clinical investigations, diagnosis and outcome
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with fluid buildup in their chest and abdomen, known as bicavitary effusion, were studied to understand the causes and outcomes. The most common reasons for this condition included cancer and heart disease, with many cats having a poor prognosis overall. The average survival time for these cats was only three days, especially for those with cancer. However, cats with heart disease had a better chance of recovery. New antiviral treatments for certain infections may also improve outcomes for affected cats in the future.
People also search for: cat fluid in chest treatment · bicavitary effusion causes in cats · cat cancer prognosis · heart disease in cats symptoms
Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and diagnostic findings and outcome of cats with bicavitary effusion presenting to a referral centre. Methods Medical records of cats presenting with bicavitary effusion were identified and their history, physical examination findings, clinicopathological data, diagnostic imaging findings, aetiology of bicavitary effusions (cardiac disease, neoplasia, infectious disease, sterile inflammatory disease, severe hypoalbuminaemia, trauma, coagulopathy or ‘open’ if no definitive diagnosis was reached) and outcome were recorded. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of death in cats with bicavitary effusion. Kaplan–Meier curves were generated for survival analysis. Results In total, 103 cats with bicavitary effusion were included. Neoplasia and cardiac disease were the most common aetiologies of bicavitary effusion, in 21 (20.4%) and 20 (19.4%) cats, respectively, followed by infectious disease (n = 11, 10.7%), trauma (n = 13, 12.6%), hypoalbuminaemia (n = 6, 5.8%), sterile inflammatory disease (n = 4, 3.9%) and coagulopathy (n = 1, 1.0%). The median survival time for all cats with bicavitary effusion was 3 days. Cats with a neoplastic aetiology had a 2.03 times greater risk of death compared with cats in which no diagnosis was achieved. Neoplasia ( P = 0.030) and pedigree breed status ( P = 0.016) were independent predictors of death in the multivariable Cox regression model. Conclusions and relevance This study highlights that bicavitary effusions in cats generally carry a guarded to poor prognosis, particularly if neoplasia is the underlying aetiology or if the cat is a pedigree breed. Cardiac disease appeared to be associated with a better prognosis, suggesting that assessment for congestive heart failure should be considered early when evaluating cats with bicavitary effusion. The prognosis for cats with feline infectious peritonitis is likely to be markedly improved by the advent of novel antiviral drugs, compared with the historical cohort of cats presented here.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612x241227122