Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Minimal kidney swelling in cats with blocked ureters confirmed
By Lemieux, Charles et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2021·Department of Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Minimal renal pelvis dilation in cats diagnosed with benign ureteral obstruction by antegrade pyelography: a retrospective study of 82 cases (2012-2018).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 82 cats with ureteral obstruction (UO), often caused by stones, were studied to understand how kidney dilation relates to this condition. Many of these cats showed only minimal dilation of the renal pelvis (the part of the kidney that collects urine), which can be confusing since it doesn't always indicate the severity of the blockage. Most cats had elevated kidney values, suggesting they were not filtering waste properly. The findings suggest that even if a cat's kidney doesn't appear significantly dilated, it can still have a serious obstruction that needs attention. Treatment often involves addressing the underlying cause, such as removing stones.
People also search for: cat ureteral obstruction treatment · why is my cat's kidney swollen · cat kidney stones symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to describe renal pelvis (RP) and ureteral ultrasonographic measurements in a population of cats with confirmed benign ureteral obstruction (UO) by antegrade pyelography. The secondary objective was to further describe clinical findings associated with minimally dilated obstructed kidneys in an attempt to better understand its occurrence. METHODS: Retrospective case series of cats diagnosed with benign UO were confirmed by antegrade pyelography. Medical records were reviewed and signalment, diagnostic imaging results, serum creatinine (SCr) concentration and urine culture results were recorded. Each obstructed kidney was categorized into two groups: group 1 included all RP measurements ⩽4 mm and group 2 included all RP measurements >4 mm. RESULTS: A total of 82 cats with 114 obstructed ureters met the inclusion criteria. Fifty (61%) cats had a unilateral UO and 32 (39%) had a bilateral UO. Thirty (26%) kidneys were included in group 1 while 84 (74%) were included in group 2. Nine (8%) kidneys had an RP dilation ⩽2 mm. Median RP and ureteral diameters were 6.6 mm (range 1.1-37.0 mm) and 3.2 mm (range 0.0-11.0 mm), respectively. RP size correlated positively with ureteral diameter in the study population (<0.0001), but not in group 1 when analyzed separately ( = 0.47). UO was secondary to stones in 80 (70%) ureters. Seventeen (21%) cats had a positive urine culture. At admission, 79 (96%) cats were azotemic with a median preoperative SCr concentration of 444 µmol/l (range 108-1326 μmol/l). The mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) preoperative SCr concentration was significantly higher in group 1 (762 µmol/l [498-1165 μmol/l]) than in group 2 (409 µmol/l [333-502 μmol/l]). RP size in the two groups correlated negatively with preoperative SCr concentration ( = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Feline UO may be associated with minimal RP dilation and the severity of RP and ureteral dilation can be highly variable. Absence of significant RP dilation does not rule out UO in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33499710/