Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with brain damage from high bilirubin and liver inflammation
By Contreras, E T et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2016·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Bilirubin Encephalopathy in a Domestic Shorthair Cat With Increased Osmotic Fragility and Cholangiohepatitis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 13-month-old female domestic shorthair cat suddenly collapsed and showed signs of severe jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) and neurological issues, including weakness in all four legs. Despite no changes in her blood cell count, her condition worsened, leading to severe lethargy and loss of coordination. A postmortem examination revealed that she had cholangiohepatitis (inflammation of the liver and bile ducts) and brain damage due to high bilirubin levels, a condition known as bilirubin encephalopathy. Unfortunately, the cat did not survive, highlighting the serious risks associated with high bilirubin levels in cats.
People also search for: cat jaundice symptoms · cat collapse treatment · bilirubin encephalopathy in cats
Abstract
A 7-month-old female domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed with chronic regenerative hemolytic anemia characterized by increased osmotic fragility of unknown etiology. At 13 months of age, the cat was evaluated for acute collapse. The cat was icteric with severe hyperbilirubinemia but no hematocrit changes. Severe obtundation and lateral recumbency progressed to tetraparesis and loss of proprioception in all 4 limbs, and a cerebellar or brainstem lesion was suspected. Postmortem examination revealed suppurative cholangiohepatitis and acute neuronal necrosis in the nuclei of the brainstem and cerebellum, consistent with bilirubin encephalopathy. This is the first known occurrence of cholangiohepatitis and bilirubin encephalopathy in an adult cat with chronic hemolytic anemia. Although rare, bilirubin encephalopathy should be considered a possible sequela to hyperbilirubinemia in adult patients. It remains unknown whether increased osmotic fragility was related to the cholangiohepatopathy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26354310/