Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What is feline triaditis and its related diseases in cats
By P. Černá et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2020·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Feline comorbidities: What do we really know about feline triaditis?
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with a combination of pancreatitis, cholangitis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was diagnosed with feline triaditis, a condition that can be tricky to identify due to overlapping symptoms. Common signs include vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss, which can make it hard for owners to know what's wrong. Diagnosis often relies on blood tests and ultrasounds, but these methods can be inconclusive. Treatment typically involves managing each condition with medications and dietary changes, and while the exact causes are still unclear, many cats can improve with the right care.
People also search for: cat vomiting and diarrhea · feline pancreatitis treatment · IBD in cats symptoms
Abstract
Practical relevance: Feline triaditis describes concurrent pancreatitis, cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The reported prevalence is 17–39% in ill referral patients. While the aetiology is poorly understood, it is known to include infectious, autoimmune and physical components. What is not known is whether different organs are affected by different diseases, or the same process; indeed, triaditis may be part of a multiorgan inflammatory disease. Feline gastrointestinal tract anatomy plays its role too. Specifically, the short small intestine, high bacterial load and anatomic feature whereby the pancreatic duct joins the common bile duct before entering the duodenal papilla all increase the risk of bacterial reflux and parenchymal inflammation. Inflammation may also be a sequela of bowel bacterial translocation and systemic bacteraemia. Diagnostic challenges: Cholangitis, pancreatitis and IBD manifest with overlapping, vague and non-specific clinical signs. Cholangitis may be accompanied by increased serum liver enzymes, total bilirubin and bile acid concentrations, and variable ultrasonographic changes. A presumptive diagnosis of pancreatitis is based on increased serum pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity or feline pancreas-specific lipase, and/or abnormal pancreatic changes on ultrasonography, though these tests have low sensitivity. Diagnosis of IBD is challenging without histopathology; ultrasound findings vary from normal to mucosal thickening or loss of layering. Triaditis may cause decreased serum folate or cobalamin (B12) concentrations due to intestinal disease and/or pancreatitis. Triaditis can only be confirmed with histopathology; hence, it remains a presumptive diagnosis in most cases. Evidence base: The literature on feline triaditis, pancreatitis, cholangitis and IBD is reviewed, focusing on histopathology, clinical significance and diagnostic challenges. Current management recommendations are provided. Further studies are needed to understand the complex pathophysiology, and in turn improve diagnosis and treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/33100169