Clinical features of inflammatory liver disease in cats: 41 cases (1983-1993).
OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical and clinicopathologic findings in and prognosis for cats with lymphocytic portal hepatitis (LPH) versus cats with acute or chronic cholangiohepatitis (CH).


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
25 cats with LPH; 16 cats with CH (7 acute, 9 chronic).


METHODS
Cats with LPH and CH were selected by evaluating records from liver biopsy specimens submitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital during a 10-year period. Clinical and clinicopathologic data were retrieved.


RESULTS
Cats with CH had higher segmented and band neutrophil counts, alanine aminotransferase activities, and total bilirubin concentrations than did cats with LPH. Cats with acute CH had higher segmented and band neutrophil counts and lower serum alkaline phosphatase activities and total bilirubin concentrations than did cats with chronic CH. Twelve of 14 cats with LPH or CH had coarse or nodular texture to the liver on ultrasonography, with loss of portal vein wall clarity noticed in 4 of 8 cats with LPH. Sixteen of 23 cats with LPH and 8 of 15 cats with CH survived > 1 year. Of those cats living < 1 year, all cats with LPH and 5 of 7 cats with CH had a serious concurrent illness that may have been responsible for their deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
LPH and CH can be detected and tentatively differentiated through evaluation of clinical laboratory test results, but histologic evaluation of liver specimens is necessary for definitive differentiation. Survival time was good regardless of the type of inflammatory liver disease.
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul 55108, USA.
J M
JM
Gagne
P J
PJ
Armstrong
D J
DJ
Weiss
E M
EM
Lund
D A
DA
Feeney
V L
VL
King
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011168:Portal System / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography