Feline Cholangiohepatitis Symptoms and Treatments

Cholangiohepatitis is an inflammation of the biliary structures (the system that carries bile) and the surrounding liver tissue, hepatocytes. It should be thought of as a group of disorders involving the biliary tract (cholangitis), which may extend to periportal hepatocytes (cholangiohepatitis) and biliary cirrhosis. In the cat it occurs in several forms, including suppurative cholangiohepatitis, nonsuppurative cholangiohepatitis, and biliary cirrhosis.

Bacterial infections that ascend from the intestinal tract are thought to be one of the common causes of cholangiohepatitis. Bacterial infections elsewhere in the body that secondarily affect the liver and biliary tree may also play a role. Unfortunately, at this time it is not known why cats develop this problem or what measures can be taken to prevent it.

The signs we typically see in these patients are not specific to cholangiohepatitis. Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or jaundice are all symptoms that can be seen with this problem. Signs may be intermittent or persistent.

Treatment: Antibiotics are the treatment of choice for this disorder. Often, these patients need to stay on antibiotic therapy for 4-6 weeks. If the biopsy indicates a chronic inflammatory problem, anti-inflammatory medications may be used as well. In most cases, prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy leads to a successful outcome.

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