Volume: 54 Issue: 4
Year: 2023, Page: 973-979, Doi: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2023.54.4.973-979
Received: March 31, 2023 Accepted: July 29, 2023 Published: Dec. 31, 2023
Feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL), characterised by an accumulation of triglycerides in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, is a common and potentially fatal liver disorder in cats. Hepatic lipidosis in cats can develop due to any condition that will impair nutrient uptake and is often presented with non-specific clinical signs. The present study describes the diagnosis of FHL based on clinicobiochemical, ultrasonographic, and cytological changes and evaluates the diagnostic utility of blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid (βHBA) estimation in FHL. Anorexia, weight loss, lethargy, vomiting, dehydration, and jaundice were the common clinical findings in cats with hepatic lipidosis. Serum biochemical evaluation revealed elevations in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), triglycerides, glucose, and total bilirubin. Ultrasonography revealed an enlarged hyperechoic liver. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of the liver revealed mild to severe vacuolation in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. Blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid levels were found higher in cats with hepatic lipidosis than in healthy cats and cats with other hepatic disorders. Therefore, βHBA estimation, being a quick and non-invasive method, could be considered as a diagnostic marker in the early diagnosis of FHL.
Keywords: Hepatic lipidosis, beta-hydroxybutyric acid (βHBA), liver
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© 2023 Asha et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Asha, S.K., Sindhu, O.K., Madhavan, U.M., David, V.P., Palekkodan, H. and Habeeb, B.P. 2023. Role of blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid estimation as a diagnostic marker of feline hepatic lipidosis. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 54(4):973-979
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2023.54.4.973-979