Investigation of Parenchymal Abdominal Organ Disease in Cats

Abstract

Definitive diagnosis of disease involving the parenchymal abdominal viscera often requires a representative specimen of affected tissue. Methods used to obtain tissue samples range from those that are minimally invasive, such as fine-needle aspiration (FNA), to more invasive techniques such as surgical biopsy. FNA and cytological examination can be a useful diagnostic tool and is commonly used for hepatic, splenic and lymph node specimens. FNA is an easy and cheap procedure that is best suited to diffuse disease and can be performed at low risk to the patient. However, its accuracy and agreement with the histopathological findings vary depending on the underlying disease and it often fails to provide information on parenchymal architecture. Importantly, FNA for cytological examination of the liver has serious limitations when used to identify the primary disease process due to the small sample size obtained. This review is aimed at clinicians undertaking more detailed and specialist investigation of diseases of feline parenchymal abdominal organs and provides practical guidance on the different methods used to obtain hepatic, renal, pancreatic and splenic specimens in cats. The information presented is based on peer-reviewed publications and the clinical experience of the author.