Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Liver damage and enzyme changes in cats with platynosomiasis
By Ramos, Dirceu Guilherme de Souza et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2017·Unidade Acadê·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline platynosomiasis: analysis of the association of infection levels with pathological and biochemical findings.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of stray cats was found to have a liver disease called platynosomiasis, caused by a parasite from eating infected lizards. In this study, nearly 40% of the cats were infected, and those with the parasite showed higher levels of a liver enzyme called ALT, indicating liver damage. The severity of liver injury varied among the infected cats, but interestingly, the number of parasites didn't always match the level of damage. This suggests that even if a cat seems healthy, it could still have this infection, so it's important for vets to consider it when diagnosing liver issues.
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Abstract
Platynosomiasis is a common feline hepatic disease caused by Platynosomum fastosum (Trematoda - Dicrocoelidae), which is also known as 'lizard poisoning'. Most reports of feline platynosomiasis show that this disease is sporadic and manifests with uncommon lesions; its pathogenicity is still not well understood. This study aimed to describe liver injuries and enzymatic changes associated with natural P. fastosum infection in 47 stray cats in an endemic area. Overall, 38.3% (18/47) of cats were parasitized, and 2,358 flukes (P. fastosum) were collected (131 - mean intensity of parasitism; 50.2 - mean abundance). The alanine transaminase (ALT) measure was significantly higher in parasitized animals, while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) showed no statistical difference between parasitized and non-parasitized animals. In infected animals, gross pathological lesions and microscopic liver injuries ranged from mild to severe, and were similar to those in previous descriptions of feline platynosomiasis. Nonetheless, the intensity of parasitism was not related to the severity of macroscopic or microscopic hepatic injuries. However, feline platynosomiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of feline liver disorders, as well as, in any program of helminth control, even if no clinical abnormalities are present.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28327881/