Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with bile duct swelling and pancreatic duct joining outside
By Fujimoto, Shinsuke et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2025·From Ozu Animal Clinic, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Single Case of a Cat Suspected of Having Congenital Biliary Dilatation Associated with Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old spayed female Scottish Fold cat was brought to the vet because she had lost her appetite and had high liver enzyme levels. After some tests, the vet found that her bile ducts were enlarged and there was a blockage in her digestive system. This condition, similar to issues seen in humans, was caused by pancreatic juices backing up into the bile ducts. The vet performed a procedure to open the blocked area, which helped her bile flow normally again and improved her liver function. The cat recovered well after treatment.
People also search for: cat loss of appetite · elevated liver enzymes in cats · cholangitis treatment in cats
Abstract
A 1 yr old spayed female Scottish fold cat was referred for further investigation because of loss of appetite and markedly elevated liver enzyme activities. Significant biliary dilatation and positive bile culture were documented, raising suspicion for cholangitis. A strictured/stenotic duodenal papilla was noted on laparotomy, with retrograde cholangiopancreatography documenting the main pancreatic duct joined with the common bile duct outside the duodenal wall. In addition, pancreatic enzyme activity in the bile was high, suggesting that pancreatic juice was flowing back into the biliary tract. These findings are similar to those of pancreaticobiliary maljunction observed in humans. Duodenal papillotomy improved the excretion of bile and pancreatic juice, resolving both the bile duct dilatation and elevated liver enzyme activities. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the association of pancreaticobiliary maljunction with the development of cholangitis associated with biliary dilatation in cats. In clinical practice, when cholangitis with severe biliary dilatation is observed in a young cat, the association with pancreaticobiliary maljunction should be considered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40304447/