Abstract

BackgroundPancreatitis is a common cause of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction (EHBDO) in dogs. Information describing the clinical course of dogs with pancreatitis associated bile duct obstruction (PABDO) is limited.ObjectivesTo describe the clinical course of PABDO in dogs and determine if presumed markers of disease severity are predictors of survival.AnimalsForty‐six client‐owned dogs with PABDO.MethodsA retrospective review of medical records from dogs diagnosed with PABDO was performed. Data, including clinical signs and biochemical changes, were collected 6 times throughout the course of disease. Outcome was defined as either survival (discharge from the hospital) or death.ResultsThirty‐three (79%) out of 42 dogs with PABDO survived. Thirty‐one (94%) of the 33 dogs that survived received medical management alone. Time from onset of clinical signs to initial documented increase in serum bilirubin concentration, peak bilirubin elevation, and initial decline in serum bilirubin concentration were 7 (median), 8, and 15 days, respectively. The median number of days from onset of clinical signs to outcome date was 13. Clinical signs of fever, vomiting, and anorexia were decreased in frequency from the onset of clinical signs to the time of peak bilirubin. Median bile duct dilatation at the time of ultrasonographic diagnosis of PABDO and peak bilirubin were not different between survivors (7.6 mm, 11.7 mg/dL) and nonsurvivors (6 mm, 10.6 mg/dL, P = .12, P = .8).ConclusionsDogs with PABDO often have a prolonged course of illness and improve clinically despite biochemical evidence of progression of EHBDO.

Highlights

  • The primary aim of our study was to describe the clinical course of pancreatitis associated bile duct obstruction (PABDO) and determine if presumed markers of disease severity, including degree of bile duct dilatation, serum concentrations of bilirubin, urea (BUN), creatinine, and albumin, serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet counts are predictors of survival to discharge from the hospital

  • Pancreatitis is a common cause of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction (EHBDO) in dogs,1 there is minimal information available to date describing the clinical course of this illness

  • Findings of our study provide further evidence that pancreatitis can cause sustained inflammation adjacent to the common bile duct that leads to a functional or physical obstruction over time

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Summary

Introduction

Pancreatitis is a common cause of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction (EHBDO) in dogs. Information describing the clinical course of dogs with pancreatitis associated bile duct obstruction (PABDO) is limited. Data, including clinical signs and biochemical changes, were collected 6 times throughout the course of disease. Thirty-one (94%) of the 33 dogs that survived received medical management alone. Time from onset of clinical signs to initial documented increase in serum bilirubin concentration, peak bilirubin elevation, and initial decline in serum bilirubin concentration were 7 (median), 8, and 15 days, respectively. The median number of days from onset of clinical signs to outcome date was 13. Median bile duct dilatation at the time of ultrasonographic diagnosis of PABDO and peak bilirubin were not different between survivors (7.6 mm, 11.7 mg/dL) and nonsurvivors (6 mm, 10.6 mg/dL, P = .12, P = .8).

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