Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diagnosing pancreatitis in cats using pancreatic lipase and CT scans
By Forman, M A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2004·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity and helical computed tomography versus conventional testing for the diagnosis of feline pancreatitis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet with symptoms of vomiting and lethargy, which can indicate pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). The veterinarian used several tests, including blood tests for pancreatic lipase levels and an abdominal ultrasound, to diagnose the condition. The results showed that the blood test for pancreatic lipase was very effective, correctly identifying pancreatitis in all affected cats, while the ultrasound also provided reliable results. Unfortunately, a CT scan did not show useful information for diagnosing this condition in cats. With the right diagnosis, treatment can begin, helping the cat recover.
People also search for: cat vomiting pancreatitis treatment · cat lethargy causes · feline pancreatic lipase test results
Abstract
Serum feline trypsinogen-like immunoreactivity (fTLI) concentrations and abdominal ultrasound have facilitated the noninvasive diagnosis of pancreatitis in cats, but low sensitivities (33% and 20-35%, respectively) have been reported. A radioimmunoassay has been validated to measure feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI), but the assay's sensitivity and specificity have not been established. In human beings, the sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) is high (75-90%), but in a study of 10 cats, only 2 had CT changes suggestive of pancreatitis. We prospectively evaluated these diagnostic tests in cats with and without pancreatitis. In all cats, serum was obtained for fTLI and fPLI concentrations, and pancreatic ultrasound images and biopsies were acquired. Serum fPLI concentrations (P< .0001) and ultrasound findings (P = .0073) were significantly different between healthy cats and cats with pancreatitis. Serum fTLI concentrations (P = .15) and CT measurements (P = .18) were not significantly different between the groups. The sensitivity of fTLI in cats with moderate to severe pancreatitis was 80%, and the specificity in healthy cats was 75%. Feline PLI concentrations were both sensitive in cats with moderate to severe pancreatitis (100%) and specific in the healthy cats (100%). Abdominal ultrasound was both sensitive in cats with moderate to severe pancreatitis (80%) and specific in healthy cats (88%). The high sensitivities of fPLI and abdominal ultrasound suggest that these tests should play an important role in the noninvasive diagnosis of feline pancreatitis. As suggested by a previous study, pancreatic CT is not a useful diagnostic test for feline pancreatitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15638263/