Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serial monitoring of pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, C-reactive protein, abdominal ultrasonography, and clinical severity in dogs with suspected pancreatitis.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Mitchell, Leslie et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In this study, researchers looked at 16 dogs suspected of having pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. They measured various factors like blood tests and ultrasound results over 28 days to see how the dogs were doing. The dogs were divided into two groups based on their initial blood test results, with one group showing higher levels of a specific enzyme related to pancreatitis. While the blood tests and overall health scores improved quickly in dogs with higher enzyme levels, the ultrasound showed signs of pancreatitis for a longer time, suggesting that some dogs might be recovering even if the ultrasound still looks concerning. Overall, the findings indicate that ultrasound results might not always mean active disease if the dog is showing signs of improvement.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of pancreatitis is based on clinical signs, pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI), and abdominal ultrasonography (AUS). Diagnostic discrepancies exist between test results which might be related to differences in the timeline for resolution of these abnormalities after pancreatic injury. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate disease severity, ultrasonographic findings, and serum biomarkers of pancreatitis in dogs over a period of 28-days. ANIMALS: Sixteen client-owned dogs with a clinical suspicion for acute pancreatitis based on history/physical examination, an abnormal SNAP cPLI, and ultrasonographic evidence of pancreatitis. METHODS: Prospective observational study. Clinical severity (modified clinical activity index [MCAI]), cPLI, C-reactive protein (CRP), and AUS were evaluated at days 0, 2, 7, and 28. Owner assessed overall health (OH) was noted. Dogs were stratified into baseline cPLI ≥400 μg/L vs <400 μg/L groups for reporting. RESULTS: The median CRP, MCAI, and OH were 111.9 mg/L, 10, and 4/10 respectively in the cPLI ≥400 μg/L group. The median CRP, MCAI, and OH were 58.0 mg/L, 6, and 6/10 respectively in the cPLI <400 μg/L group. None of these variables were significantly different between groups. Most dogs (4/5) in the cPLI <400 μg/L group had a history of suspected pancreatitis (ie, suspect acute on chronic disease). cPLI and MCAI rapidly decreased in dogs with a baseline cPLI ≥400 μg/L, whereas sonographic evidence of pancreatitis persisted for a longer time period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Ultrasonographic evidence of pancreatitis in the absence of overt clinical or biochemical abnormalities might represent a resolving injury rather than active disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38363021/