Granulomatous Hepatitis in Cats

 

Hepatitis granulomatous is a complicated form of hepatitis, which is characterized by a mass of inflamed tissue (granuloma) growing on a simultaneously inflamed liver (hepatitis). This diseased state is most commonly due to fungal infection, but it can also be brought about by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or cancer.

 

Hepatitis granulomatous is relatively uncommon in cats, but it is not limited by age or breed.

 

Symptoms and Types

 

• Lack of appetite
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Increased urination (polyuria)
• Increased thirst (polydipsia)
• Abdominal pain
• Yellowish discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes due to jaundice
• Distended abdomen
• Fever

 

Causes

 

• Fungal infections (blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis)
• Bacterial infections (brucellosis)
• Parasitism (liver flukes, visceral larval migrans)
• Neoplasia/cancer (lymphosarcoma)
• Viral (feline infectious peritonitis [FIP])
• Immune-mediated disorders (involving the immune system of the body)
• Drug reactions
• Idiopathic (cause unknown)

 

 

 

Diagnosis

 

You will need to give a thorough history of your cat's health leading up to the onset of symptoms, including any illnesses your cat has had, even if the illness had apparently resolved. Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical exam, including a blood chemical profile, a complete blood count, a urinalysis and an electrolyte panel. The results of the blood tests may reveal abnormalities related to the underlying disease/condition.

 

The biochemical tests usually reveal abnormally high liver enzymes and bilirubin levels, low glucose levels, and other such abnormalities. Similarly, the urinalysis may reveal protein, red blood cells, or white blood cells in the urine, indicative of infection. As the liver is important for blood clotting, abnormalities related to blood clotting are common in these patients. In some cases, however, a coagulation check may return normal, unless your cat has reached the point of liver failure.

 

Abdominal x-rays will often reveal an enlarged liver, an abdominal mass, and excess fluid inside the abdominal cavity. An abdominal ultrasound will give your veterinarian further details related to the liver size and also enable your veterinarian to take a guided biopsy of liver tissue for further microscopic evaluation. The liver tissue sample will confirm abnormalities in the liver tissue, providing the means for a definitive diagnosis.

 

It is important to keep in mind that hepatitis granulomatous is frequently multisystemic, meaning that several systems of the body are being affected, making the diagnosis difficult to define.

  

Treatment

 

Depending on the severity of the symptoms, your cat may needs to be hospitalized for initial treatment. Fluid therapy will be given to restore bodily fluid deficits, along with nutritional support if your cat is unable to eat. As the underlying cause of this disease is often difficult to diagnose, treatment can be highly variable and will depend on the underlying cause.

 

Because of the liver's importance to the body whole, the prognosis for this disease is guarded to poor. Cirrhosis, liver failure, or a chronic condition may develop as the result of hepatitis granulomatous. Systemic FIP is a particularly harsh condition. If your cat is diagnosed with this disease, the prognosis will be poor.

 

Living and Management

 

It is not always possible to diagnose the underlying cause of this disease, therefore, successful treatment is often difficult to achieve. Due to this fact, the condition often worsens and may lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. The prognosis is usually bad because of involvement of multiple systems of the body, the difficulty in diagnosing the underlying cause, and the ability to provide proper treatment without a definite diagnosis.