Fibrostenotic intestinal stenosis associated with chronic enteropathy in two cats: case report

Two cats presented with acute progressive vomiting. One cat (Case 1) received prednisolone for suspected chronic inflammatory enteropathy for 14 months. The cat showed hypoalbuminemia, hypocobalaminemia, small intestinal thickening, and focal jejunal stricture with severe proximal dilation on ultrasonography. Exploratory laparotomy confirmed the stricture, and histopathology revealed submucosal fibroplasia with mild lymphoplasmacytic enteritis. The cat died on postoperative day 12. Another cat (Case 2) showed proximal small intestinal obstruction on ultrasonography. A wide-margin resection of the obstructed lesion was performed. Histopathology revealed mild intestinal wall fibrosis with mesenteric inflammation. Masson's trichrome staining showed submucosal collagen bundles. Immunohistochemistry and clonality analysis by PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement supported the diagnosis of low-grade intestinal T-cell lymphoma. The cat recovered uneventfully and remained restenosis-free during prednisolone treatment for 12 months after surgery. Intestinal stenoses were identified during long-term medical management of chronic enteropathy. This suggests that the extent of the lesion and the surgical resection strategy could be relevant factors for management and prognosis.