Histopathological frequency of feline hepatobiliary disease in the UK.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine the histopathological frequency of feline hepatobiliary diseases in the UK and to identify breed, age and gender predispositions to developing individual diseases. METHODS: Histopathology results from 1452 feline liver biopsies were assessed. A control population of microchipped cats was used for breed comparison. Data were retrospectively categorised into hepatobiliary diseases according to World Small Animal Veterinary Association standards. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine breed predispositions to the 10 most frequent diseases. Gender and age distributions were also evaluated. RESULTS: The most frequent diseases based on histopathology were neutrophilic cholangitis (20·5%), reactive hepatitis (20·4%), reversible hepatocellular injury (8·4%), lymphocytic cholangitis (6·8%), biliary cysts (5·7%), acute hepatitis (5·6%), haematopoietic neoplasia (5·6%), hepatocellular neoplasia (4·9%), congenital portosystemic shunt (3·8%) and cholangiocellular neoplasia (3·1%). Some previously unreported breed and age predispositions were identified. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to document the histopathological frequency of hepatobiliary diseases in a large cohort of cats in the UK, as well as novel breed and age predispositions. These data may help increase the index of suspicion of a particular disease in the absence of a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis.