Chyloabdomen in a cat with pancreatic carcinoma

Véran, Emilie; Gallay-Lepoutre, Julie; Gory, Guillaume; Guillaumot, Pierre; Duboy, Julie

ing condition (Nelson, 2001; Thompson and Carr, 2002) . In this present case, owners have reported a great improvement of the cat general condition after initiation of rutin therapy. The hair coat was shinny and smooth, and the cat was bright and alert. However, effusion rapidly relapsed despite rutin. In conclusion, chylous ascites is an uncommon condition in dogs and cats. Neoplastic disease is a leading cause of chylous abdominal effusion in cats. The identification of the underlying cause relies on a systematic and often fastidious approach with analysis of the effusion as a first step. Regarding the lymphangiography method, the results obtained in our case were disappointing, even if the injection into the perianal tissue is easier and less invasive than into popliteal or mesenteric lymph nodes. A prospective study would be needed to validate this technique in small animal imaging and establish a standardized protocol for cats. Management of chyloabdomen relies on treatment of the underlying cause. By analogy with chylothorax, management with rutin and low-fat diet may be attempted, but to this date, no studies have demonstrated its efficacy.