Within the past several decades, the number of Ehrlichia spp. recognized to infect cats, dogs, and human beings has expanded substantially. The recent application of advanced techniques in molecular biology has changed how ehrlichiosis is diagnosed and has provided new tools for the assessment of treatment. As these techniques are applied, the numerous questions that relate to the management of dogs and cats with ehrlichiosis ultimately will be answered. We hope this consensus statement will assist veterinarians in the management of their patients.
ALTHOUGH NOT AS commonly recognized as in human medicine, disease of the gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract does occur in dogs and cats. Lack of awareness of the signs of biliary tract disease is probably the reason these disorders are overlooked. These disorders are often confused with other intra-abdominal disorders because their course and clinical signs are similar. This review is twofold: to review the normal anatomy and physiology of the gallbladder, bile duct, and bile in the dog and cat; and to discuss the historic, physical examination, clinicopathologic, diagnostic, histologic, and therapeutic aspects of biliary tract disorders.
AnatomyWithin the liver, bile drains through the canaliculi into interlobular ducts. These then unite to form the hepatic ducts that emerge from the lobes of the liver. The hepatic ducts are usually three to five in number, and empty into the cystic duct, which in turn drains into the gallbladder. After the last hepatic duct enters, the cystic duct becomes the bile duct (sometimes referred to as the common bile duct), and empties into the duodenum (1 5 6 . 0 cm) distal to the pylorus at the major duodenal papilla. ' The duct systems that deliver pancreatic and biliary secretions to the duodenum differ between the dog and cat. The distance between the entrance of the major pancreatic duct and the common bile duct into the duodenum is greater in the dog than in the The clinical importance of this difference is that a larger lesion in this
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