Hepatic lesions in 90 captive nondomestic felids presented for autopsy.
Hepatic lesions in nondomestic felids are poorly characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hepatic lesions in 90 captive, nondomestic felids including tigers, cougars, and lions. Hepatic lesions were histologically characterized as vacuolar change (lipidosis or glycogenosis), biliary cysts, biliary hyperplasia, hepatitis, necrosis, neoplasia, fibrosis, veno-occlusive disease, cholestasis, hematoma, congestion, or hemorrhage. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed for vacuolar change, benign biliary lesions, hepatitis, lipogranulomas, extramedullary hematopoiesis, and hepatic stellate cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia, with species as the outcome variable. Ninety cats met the inclusion criteria. Seventy livers (78%) contained 1 or more lesions. Hepatocellular vacuolar change (41/90 [46%]) was the most common lesion overall. Extramedullary hematopoiesis, lipogranulomas, and hepatic stellate cell hyperplasia were also common. One snow leopard had veno-occlusive disease. Tigers were more likely than other felids to have no significant hepatic histologic lesions (odds ratio [OR], 12.687; P = .002), and lions were more likely to have biliary cysts (OR, 5.97; P = .021). Six animals (7%) died of hepatic disease: cholangiocellular carcinoma (n = 2) and 1 each of hepatic lipidosis, hepatocellular necrosis, pyogranulomatous hepatitis, and suppurative cholecystitis. Hepatocellular iron and copper accumulations were present in 72 of 90 (80%) and 10 of 90 (11%) sections, respectively. Sinusoidal fibrosis was common (74/90 [82%]) and primarily centrilobular (65/74 [88%]). Hepatocellular iron, copper, and fibrosis were not significantly associated with hepatic lesions. Primary hepatic disease was not a common cause of death in nondomestic felids in this study.
Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA jbernar5@utk.edu.
J M
JM
Bernard
Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
K M
KM
Newkirk
Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
A E
AE
McRee
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
J C
JC
Whittemore
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
E C
EC
Ramsay
D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001344:Autopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D045989:Felidae; D005260:Female; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology
D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron
Felidae; Panthera; heavy metals; leopard; lion; liver disease; puma; tiger