Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and survival in cats with suppurative
By Center, Sharon A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Clinical features, concurrent disorders, and survival time in cats with suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old cat was brought in showing signs of lethargy, vomiting, jaundice, and a lack of appetite. After diagnosis of suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome (S-CCHS), the vet found that many cats with this condition also had other health issues like pancreatitis and bile duct obstructions. Treatment often included surgery to remove gallstones, which significantly improved survival chances. Cats that underwent surgery had better outcomes compared to those with certain blood test abnormalities.
People also search for: cat vomiting and lethargy · cat jaundice treatment · cat gallstones surgery · cat pancreatitis symptoms · cat cholangitis survival rate
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To characterize clinical features, comorbidities, frequency of bacterial isolation, and survival time in cats with suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome (S-CCHS). ANIMALS: 168 client-owned cats with S-CCHS. PROCEDURES: Data were prospectively (1980 to 2019) collected regarding clinical features, comorbidities, bacterial infection, illness duration, and treatments. Variables were evaluated for associations with survival time. RESULTS: Median age of cats was 10.0 years, with no breed or sex predilection observed. Common clinical features included hyporexia (82%), hyperbilirubinemia (80%), lethargy (80%), vomiting (80%), jaundice (67%), weight loss (54%), and hypoalbuminemia (50%). Comorbidities included extrahepatic bile duct obstruction (53%), cholelithiasis (42%), cholecystitis (40%), and ductal plate malformation (44%) as well as biopsy-confirmed inflammatory bowel disease (60/68 [88%]) and pancreatitis (41/44 [93%]). Bacterial cultures were commonly positive (69%) despite prebiopsy antimicrobial administration in most cats. Of surgically confirmed choleliths, diagnostic imaging identified only 58%. Among 55 cats with "idiopathic pancreatitis," 28 (51%) were documented to have transiting choleliths, and 20 had pancreatic biopsies confirming pancreatitis. Cholelithiasis (with or without bile duct obstruction) and cholecystectomy were associated with survival advantages. Survival disadvantages were found for leukocytosis, ≥ 2-fold increased alkaline phosphatase, and hyperbilirubinemia. Cholecystoenterostomy had no survival impact. Cats with ductal plate malformations were significantly younger at diagnosis and death than other cats. Chronic treatments with antimicrobials, S-adenosylmethionine, and ursodeoxycholic acid were common postbiopsy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: S-CCHS in cats was associated with bacterial infection and various comorbidities and may be confused with pancreatitis. Surgically correctable morbidities (ie, cholecystitis, cholecystocholelithiasis) and cholecystectomy provided a significant survival advantage.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34936575/