Imaging findings and monitoring of a rare case of congenital intrahepatic bile duct ectasia (Caroli-like disease) and a pancreatic cyst in a 2-month-old cat

Abstract

The case report described ultrasonographic and CT findings of a rare congenital bile duct ectasia in a cat and follow-up examinations for the assessment of the pathological process. Congenital intrahepatic bile ducts ectasia is a rare hereditary disorder of the biliary tree in dogs and cats, with a limited number of published reports documenting this pathology. Complete ultrasound examination may facilitate differentiation from other conditions and aids diagnosis, especially when cystic lesions are recorded in other abdominal organs (pancreas, kidneys). Clinical signs associated with the disease are represented by acute abdominal pain, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhoea, jaundice and abdominal distension in cases of hepatomegaly or ascites due to portal hypertension. Similarly, a delay in growth may be seen in some patients when systemic shunts or arteriovenous fistulisations coexist. Follow-up ultrasound examinations proved beneficial in order to assess the changes and further medical planning.