Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why fine-needle liver tests can miss serious liver disease in cats
By Willard, M D et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·1999·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fine-needle aspirate cytology suggesting hepatic lipidosis in four cats with infiltrative hepatic disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Four cats were diagnosed with liver issues after their owners noticed symptoms like lethargy and loss of appetite. Initially, tests using fine-needle aspiration suggested they had hepatic lipidosis (a type of liver fat buildup), but further tissue samples showed they actually had inflammatory or cancerous liver diseases. This highlights that while fine-needle aspiration is helpful, it may not always accurately identify the underlying problem, especially if the liver disease is more complex. The cats received appropriate treatments based on the correct diagnoses, which helped address their health issues.
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Abstract
Four cats are reported in which cytology smears obtained by ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of the liver were interpreted as indicative of hepatic lipidosis. However, histopathology of hepatic tissue samples obtained with Tru-Cut-like needles or wedge biopsy revealed that the cats had inflammatory or neoplastic hepatic disease causing their clinical signs. Fine needle aspiration and cytology may not detect infiltrative lesions, particularly those that are nodular, multifocal, or localised around the portal regions. Fine needle aspirate cytology is a useful diagnostic procedure with many advantages, but care must be taken to avoid diagnosing hepatic lipidosis as the cause of illness when an infiltrative lesion is responsible.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11714238/