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Evaluation of pleural fluid parameters related to cardiac diseases in cats
Nutcha Chobsuk1, Panita Pongprasit1, Pralphun Puangploy1
1Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Pleural fluid protein concentration can help diagnose feline cardiac disease when echocardiography is unavailable. This study found lower protein levels in cats with cardiac issues, aiding in differentiating heart disease from other causes of pleural effusion.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
- Diagnostic Cytology
Background:
- Feline cardiac disease is prevalent and often complicated by pleural effusion, negatively impacting prognosis.
- Echocardiography, the gold standard for diagnosing feline cardiac disease, has limited accessibility in some regions.
- Identifying non-invasive diagnostic indicators from pleural fluid is crucial for cats with cardiac disease and effusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify diagnostic indicators within pleural fluid analysis for feline cardiac disease.
- To evaluate the utility of pleural effusion fluid analysis in differentiating cardiac from non-cardiac causes in cats.
- To establish fluid analysis parameters that correlate with cardiac disease in cats.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed data from 61 cats with pleural effusion.
- Cats were categorized into cardiac disease (n=34) and non-cardiac disease (n=27) groups.
- Fluid analysis, clinical findings, and imaging results were compared between groups.
Main Results:
- Abnormal heart sounds, elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, arterial thromboembolism, cardiomegaly, and pulmonary edema were associated with cardiac disease.
- Pleural fluid protein concentration (≤3 g/dL) showed high specificity (92.6%) for cardiac disease.
- Significant differences in protein concentration and specific gravity were noted between cardiac and non-cardiac groups.
Conclusions:
- Pleural fluid protein concentration is a potential biomarker for distinguishing cardiac from non-cardiac diseases in cats.
- Fluid analysis offers a valuable tool for diagnosing feline cardiac disease, especially when advanced imaging is not feasible.
- Further research can refine the use of pleural fluid analysis in feline cardiology.
Background And Aim:
Cardiac disease is common in cats, and concurrent pleural effusion can worsen the prognosis. However, the definitive diagnosis of feline cardiac disease by echocardiography is limited in some areas. This study was designed to determine the indicators from fluid analysis obtained from pleural effusion to help diagnose cardiac disease in cats.
Materials And Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted. Data of 61 cats with pleural effusion were retrieved. The cats were divided into two groups: Cardiac disease (n=34) and non-cardiac disease (n=27) groups. Sex, neuter status, breed, age, weight, physical findings, fluid analysis results, radiographic findings, echocardiographic findings, and the presence of other diseases or conditions were recorded.
Results:
The Chi-square test showed the relationship between cardiac disease and the presence of abnormal heart sounds (p=0.0003), the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide-positive result from serum samples (p=0.046), the presence of arterial thromboembolism (p<0.00001), and the presence of radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly and pulmonary edema (p=0.0002 and 0.001, respectively). The Mann-Whitney U-test showed a significant difference in protein concentration and specific gravity between the cardiac and non-cardiac disease groups (p=0.012 and 0.009, respectively). The decision tree classification method showed that protein concentrations of ≤3 g/dL were related to cardiac disease (sensitivity, 41.2% and specificity, 92.6%).
Conclusion:
The protein concentration in the pleural fluid may be used to distinguish cardiac and non-cardiac diseases in cats.
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