Review of Feline Pancreatitis Part One: The Normal Feline Pancreas, the Pathophysiology, Classification, Prevalence and Aetiologies of Pancreatitis

Abstract

The cellular mechanisms involved once pancreatitis has been initiated are reasonably well understood. The events leading up to this process are less well established. Much of our current understanding of pancreatitis in cats has been determined from experiments in cats or extrapolated from other species. The normal anatomy and function of the pancreas and a review of the current state of knowledge about the pathophysiology of pancreatitis is discussed. The current prevalence of feline pancreatitis is unknown, but the disease is being reported with increasing frequency. The aetiology of pancreatitis and the types of pancreatic inflammation present in cats is different from other species, such as the dog, a species where the disease is considered more common. Concurrent diseases are often present that may be more serious than the pancreatic inflammation and the treatment of these diseases is often complicated by pancreatitis.

Poisoning of cats and dogs by the carbamate pesticides aldicarb and carbofuran

“…In addition, they describe a link between acute necrotising haemorrhagic pancreatitis and pulmonary morphological lesions (Lankisch et al, 1983). The pancreatitis may also be attributed to anatomic features of the pancreas in the cat compared with dogs, such as the pancreatic duct, that enters the major duodenal papilla, and the absence of the accessory pancreatic duct (Mansfield and Jones, 2001).…”

Pancreatitis in Cats

“…Although much is still not known about feline pancreatitis, there have been major advances over the last few years. [3][4][5][6] Etiology Several studies have described and categorized the histopathological features of the pancreas in cats clinically ill with pancreatitis. [7][8][9][10] The 3 best characterized forms are acute necrotizing pancreatitis, acute suppurative pancreatitis, and chronic nonsuppurative pancreatitis.…”

“…The underlying cause of most cases of feline pancreatitis remains unknown. 4,6 Histologic pancreatitis has been noted in infections with certain parasites, including Toxoplasma gondii, pancreatic (Eurytrema procyonis), and hepatic (Amphimerus pseudofelineus) flukes, and also with some viruses (coronavirus, parvovirus, herpesvirus, and calicivirus), but these are certainly not common causes of feline pancreatitis, and the pancreatitis is usually a minor component of the overall disease picture in affected cats. 11 Tumors of the pancreas may be associated with pancreatitis, perhaps because of local ischemia, duct obstruction, or release of inflammatory cytokines, but again the pancreatitis is usually not a major part of the overall clinical picture.…”

“…Tighter associations with acute pancreatitis have been described for trauma (road traffic accidents or falling from high buildings), pancreatic ischemia secondary to hypotension or abdominal surgical procedures, and overstimulation of pancreatic secretion secondary to hy-percalcemia or intoxication with organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitors (topical fenthion). 4,6 Although other drug-associated pancreatitis has not been reported in cats, a rare idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction should always be considered. It should be noted that early concerns that corticosteroids could cause pancreatitis have now been largely dismissed and steroids are no longer included in lists of drugs suspected of being associated with pancreatitis.…”

Age‐related Changes in the Ultrasound Appearance of the Normal Feline Pancreas

“…Introduction P ANCREATITIS, ONCE RARELY considered in the cat, is now diagnosed relatively frequently. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] The diagnosis is difficult, as clinical signs are nonspecific and no noninvasive diagnostic test is completely reliable. Ultrasound is used commonly in an attempt to make a noninvasive diagnosis of feline pancreatitis.…”