Sclerosing eosinophilic extrahepatic cholangitis in a cat

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Comparative Pathology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Cholangiohepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and bile ducts.
• Eosinophilic cholangitis is a rare form of cholangitis characterized by eosinophilic infiltration.
• While often benign in humans, its effects in felines require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of eosinophilic cholangitis in a feline patient.
• To describe the clinical, ultrasonographic, and necropsy findings.
• To investigate the pathological mechanisms leading to biliary obstruction.

Main Methods:

• Case presentation of a 9-year-old female cat with progressive weight loss, anorexia, and jaundice.
• Clinical examination, biochemical tests, abdominal ultrasound, and necropsy with histopathological examination.
• Microscopic evaluation focused on the cystic duct and surrounding liver tissue.

Main Results:

• Clinical signs included jaundice, hypothermia, and poor body condition.
• Ultrasound indicated cholangiohepatitis, pancreatitis, and biliary abnormalities.
• Necropsy revealed a thickened, obstructed cystic duct due to eosinophilic inflammation and fibrosis, with bile duct proliferation.

Conclusions:

• Feline eosinophilic cholangitis can lead to severe cystic duct obstruction and clinical deterioration.
• The inflammatory process and subsequent fibrosis contributed to the fatal outcome.
• This case highlights the potential severity of eosinophilic cholangitis in cats, contrasting with its typically benign nature in humans.