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Overview:
Cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis complex is a number
of related inflammatory & or infectious disorders of the
liver and/or the biliary tract.
Cholangitis
relates to infection or inflammation of the bile duct &
cholangiohepatitis is inflammation of the biliary system &
by extension the liver. Causes of infection may often
include FIP,
Pancreatitis,
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, bacterial infection,
parasitic infection (including
toxoplasmosis).
There are
three diseases in this complex.
-
Acute or
suppurative (pus forming) CHT - This is caused by bacteria
which generally ascend the bile duct into the intrahepatic
biliary system. In this form, the neutrophil is the
primary inflammatory cell infiltrating the liver lesions.
-
Chronic or
lymphocytic CHT - This is caused by a sterile inflammatory
process & may be perpetuated by an abnormal immune
response as the predominant infiltrating cells are
lymphocytes & plasma cells.
-
Cirrhosis -
This is the end stage resulting in terminal liver failure
in which bile duct tissue is replaced by tough connective
tissue. This isn't seen often as cats with
cholangiohepatitis rarely survive long enough for it to
develop into cirrhosis.
What are the
symptoms?
Clinical signs
of each disease in this complex are similar & include;
How is it
diagnosed?
Your
veterinarian will perform a physical examination of your cat
& will want to run several tests, including blood work to
look at:
-
Chemistry
panel
-
Complete blood count
-
Urinalysis
-
Thyroid
testing
-
Bile acids
tolerance test
-
Ultrasound: An ultrasound can give your veterinarian
an idea of the size & shape of your cat's liver &
gallbladder, and detect gallstones & biliary obstruction
(blockage of the flow of bile from the liver).
-
X-Ray:
An x-ray may be taken to give your veterinarian an
idea of the size & shape of your cat's liver. X-ray may
also detect the presence of tumours.
-
Biopsy:
A liver biopsy is taken to determine the exact type of
liver disease. This may be done at the same time as the
ultrasound.
-
Serologic
Testing: Testing for diseases such as FeLV, FIV, FIP &
toxoplasmosis may be taken as these diseases are
associated with some liver disorders in cats.
How is it
treated?
-
Supportive
care with IV or subcutaneous fluids & nutritional support.
-
If the cause
is bacterial, antibiotics will be prescribed.
-
Medication
to control vomiting if necessary.
-
Corticosteroids may also be helpful in cats.
-
Supportive
care is primarily given in the final stage with an aim to
maintain hydration & nutrition.
-
Surgery to
remove gallstones or correction of bile duct obstruction
if necessary.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
