A six‐year‐old male castrated domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for a six‐month history of haematochezia, mucoid diarrhoea, tenesmus and rectal prolapse. Colonic histopathology revealed multifocal mucosal ulceration and lamina propria infiltration with large numbers of periodic acid‐Schiff‐positive macrophages. Large clusters of intracellular Escherichia coli were confirmed with fluorescence in situ hybridization testing, similar to that seen in dogs with granulomatous colitis. An eight‐week course of marbofloxacin resulted in resolution of clinical signs; however, recurrence occurred four weeks later. A 12‐week course of marbofloxacin resulted in disease remission for which the cat still remains free of clinical signs (15 months). Escherichia coli‐associated granulomatous colitis, although reported with rarity in this species, is an important infectious cause of chronic large intestinal disease in the cat.
Assessment of left atrial (LA) sizes in dogs informs clinical staging, risk assessment, treatment decisions, and prognosis. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of observers with different levels of experience measuring the LA with three different techniques. Echocardiographic images from 36 dogs with different degrees of left atrial enlargement (LAE) were retrospectively retrieved, anonymized and measured in a blinded fashion by a veterinary student, a first-year cardiology resident, a third-year cardiology resident, and two board-certified veterinary cardiologists. The LA to aortic root ratio (LA:Ao), LA antero-postero diameter indexed to body weight (LAiAPD) and left atrial area were measured. Inter- and intra-observer intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for all three variables. Bland–Altman plots and accuracy in identification of LAE were calculated for the three least experienced observers using LA:Ao and LAiAPD. Intra- and interobserver ICCs were greater than 0.9 for every variable. The observer with least experience had significant positive bias and a tendency to overestimate larger measurements using LA:Ao, but not using LAiAPD. The accuracy of identification of LAE also increased with the increasing level of experience and was higher for LAiAPD compared to LA:Ao. Combining both methods for identification of LAE, further increased accuracy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.