Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound pancreas changes and outcomes in cats with suspected
By Lederer, Kristina A et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·Department for Companion Animals and Horses·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of ultrasonographic echogenicity and outcome in cats with suspected pancreatitis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats suspected of having pancreatitis were examined using ultrasound to see if the appearance of their pancreas affected their recovery. The study found that while cats with a hypoechoic (darker) pancreas were often more lethargic and had lower body weights, their overall treatment costs, hospital stay duration, and survival rates were similar to those with different pancreatic appearances. This means that the echogenicity of the pancreas did not predict a worse outcome for these cats. All groups received treatment, and there was no significant difference in how well they recovered.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether ultrasonographic pancreatic echogenicity, especially hypoechogenicity, has an impact on the prognosis of cats with suspected pancreatitis. We hypothesised that cats with a hypoechoic pancreas have a longer duration of hospitalisation, higher treatment costs and a higher mortality rate. METHODS: This was a retrospective study, which included cats with clinical signs of pancreatitis, a SNAP fPL test result above the reference interval and ultrasonographic abnormalities consistent with pancreatitis. Medical records and follow-up information were retrieved from the local electronic database. Cases were assigned to one of three groups based on pancreatic echogenicity: hypoechoic, hyperechoic or mixed echogenicity. Statistical analysis aimed to assess differences in outcome, ultrasonographic abnormalities, historical features, physical examination findings, laboratory results, concurrent diseases or treatment costs. RESULTS: Thirty-six (64%) cats with a hypoechoic, seven (13%) with a hyperechoic and 13 (23%) cats with a mixed echoic pancreas were included. Cats with a hypoechoic pancreas had a significantly lower median body weight ( = 0.010) and lower median body condition score ( = 0.004) compared with the other cats. Furthermore, they were presented as being lethargic significantly more often ( = 0.014), were more likely to have a homogeneously enlarged pancreas (<0.001) and were less likely to have concurrent abnormalities or diseases, such as ultrasonographic enteric abnormalities ( = 0.020), triaditis ( = 0.013) and diabetes mellitus ( = 0.041). However, there was no difference in treatment costs ( = 0.961), duration of hospitalisation ( = 0.898), survival of hospitalisation ( = 0.419) or survival time ( = 0.256) between groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, echogenicity was of no prognostic value in cats with suspected pancreatitis. Cats with a hypoechoic pancreas were not associated with a poorer outcome than cats with a hyperechoic or mixed echoic pancreas.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35166136/