title: Acute necrotizing pancreatitis and acute suppurative pancreatitis in the cat. A retrospective study of 40 cases (1976-1989).
abstract: Medical records and histologic sections of 40 cats with acute pancreatitis were reviewed. Two distinct groups of cats with pancreatitis were established by histologic analysis of tissue. Group 1 (32 cats) had acute pancreatic necrosis (APN). Group 2 (8 cats) had suppurative pancreatitis. Ages of affected cats ranged from 3 weeks to 16 years. The majority consisted of indoor cats of the Domestic Short-Haired breed but Siamese cats were over-represented relative to the general population (P < 0.05). Twenty-two percent of cats were obese and 57% were underweight. Thirty-eight percent of cats had acute disease. In the other cats, two stages in the progression of the disease were evident: (1) anorexia, weight loss, and lethargy, followed by (2) acute deterioration, development of shock, and a moribund state, despite fluid therapy. The most common clinical signs were severe lethargy (100%), reduced appetite (97%), dehydration (92%), and hypothermia (68%). The initial hemogram occasionally showed a neutrophilia (30%) and anemia (26%) but packed cell volume (PCV) decreased markedly to the extent that 55% of cats were anemic terminally. Serum biochemical abnormalities included increased activities of ALT (68%) and ALP (50%), and increased concentrations of bilirubin (64%) and cholesterol (64%). Cats with APN were hyperglycemic (64%), glycosuric (60%) and ketonuric (20%), whereas cats with suppurative pancreatitis tended to be hypoglycemic (75%). Renal failure and electrolyte abnormalities were mild or infrequent except for hypokalemia (56%). This study characterizes a severe necrotizing pancreatitis in the cat similar to that reported in other species, and a histologically distinct suppurative pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Van Winkle
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies