Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with kidney and liver cysts develops Budd-Chiari-like syndrome
By Eun-Soo Lee et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2026·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Case Report: Budd–Chiari-like syndrome in a cat with polycystic kidney and liver disease
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old spayed female Persian Chinchilla cat was brought to the vet because she was very tired and had sudden pain and limping in her right back leg. Tests showed she had cysts in her kidneys and liver, which caused her liver to enlarge and put pressure on a major vein, leading to a rare condition called Budd–Chiari-like syndrome. Despite receiving supportive care, her condition worsened, and she sadly passed away from kidney failure within seven weeks. This case highlights the need for pet owners to be aware of potential complications in cats with kidney and liver disease.
People also search for: cat lethargy and limping · Persian cat kidney disease · Budd-Chiari syndrome in cats · cat liver disease treatment
Abstract
A 9-year-old spayed female Persian Chinchilla cat presented with progressive lethargy and acute right hindlimb pain and lameness. Diagnostic imaging revealed diffuse renal and hepatic cysts, resulting in marked hepatomegaly. Computed tomography (CT) further identified a localized narrowing of the intrahepatic caudal vena cava (CVC), likely due to extrinsic compression by the enlarged liver. Laboratory tests revealed moderate anemia, leukocytosis, hypoalbuminemia, and a hypercoagulable state with markedly elevated serum amyloid A levels. Based on these findings, the cat was diagnosed with polycystic kidney and liver disease (PKD/PLD), complicated by Budd–Chiari-like syndrome (BCLS), a rare hemodynamic disorder in felines. Despite supportive care, the patient succumbed to renal failure within 7 weeks. Whole-genome sequencing identified a heterozygous known pathogenic non-sense mutation in PKD1 (XM_023247051.2:c.9864C > A), a novel frameshift mutation in GANAB, and multiple missense variants in PKD1 and PKHD1. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of feline BCLS secondary to PLD-induced CVC compression. These findings underscore the importance of considering vascular complications in advanced PKD/PLD and suggest that multigenic variation may contribute to disease severity and clinical variability.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1701832