Laparoscopic diagnosis of pancreatic disease in dogs and cats.
BACKGROUND
Histopathology is the gold standard for the diagnosis of pancreatic disease. Laparoscopy offers a minimally invasive route by which to obtain pancreatic biopsies.


OBJECTIVE
Laparoscopy is a safe and effective technique for evaluating the pancreas in small animal patients.


METHODS
Medical records of 18 dogs and 13 cats examined between 1999 and 2007 that underwent laparoscopy during which observation or biopsy of the pancreas was recorded.


METHODS
The database for the Laparoscopy Laboratory at Colorado State University was searched for records that contained "pancreatitis,""pancreas," or "pancreatic." The presenting complaints, imaging studies, and histopathologic findings of animals were recorded. All hospital admissions were searched for animals with the same presenting complaints and of those it was determined which animals had exploratory surgery and their pancreas biopsied.


RESULTS
Thirteen cats and 18 dogs underwent laparoscopy for presumptive pancreatic disease or had the appearance of the pancreas described, pancreatic biopsies obtained, or both. In 14 animals a laparoscopic biopsy of the pancreas resulted in a histopathologic diagnosis when the sonographic findings or the gross assessment failed to do so. In 35% of the animals a biopsy of the pancreas was not obtained despite findings consistent with pancreatic disease. Those animals examined for vomiting or anorexia were significantly more likely to have a biopsy of the pancreas obtained through laparoscopy versus surgery (P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopy and pancreatic biopsy is useful for evaluation of pancreatic disease.
Webb
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CB
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. cbwebb@colostate.edu
Trott
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