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Surgical management of feline extra-hepatic biliary obstruction (EHBO) has poor survival rates with few prognostic factors reported in the literature. The etiology and clinical findings of feline EHBO and their influence on short-(2 weeks-6 months) and long-term (>6 months) survival and prognosis were examined in an observational clinical retrospective study of 26 client-owned cats undergoing surgery for biliary obstruction at one institution between 2012 and 2020. The etiology of EHBO was determined in 21/26 cats, which included inflammatory causes (14/21), neoplastic causes (6/21), and a duodenal foreign body (1/21). Pre-operative hyperbilirubinemia and post-extubation hypotension (mean arterial pressure < 60 mmHg) were statistically associated with reduced short- and long-term survival. Short-term survival was documented in 17/26 cats, and long-term survival in 13/26 cats. Median survival time (MST) was 86 days (range, 0-1497). An MST of 17 days (range, 2-520) in cats with malignancies was found compared to an MST of 1165 days (range, 61-2268) in EHBO resulting from inflammatory complexes. Pre-operative hyperbilirubinemia and immediate post-operative hypotension may represent prognostic factors for cats undergoing surgery for EHBO. Cats with inflammatory causes of EHBO carry a more favorable prognosis than neoplastic causes. Further studies are required to evaluate the validity of the observed associations.

The aims of this retrospective study were to characterise the epidemiological, clinical, histopathological, and microbiological findings as well as surgical outcomes in dogs admitted to a specialist veterinary hospital in Hong Kong for surgical management of gallbladder mucocoele (GBM). Inclusion criteria were cases with histopathological diagnosis of GBM and accompanying abdominal imaging, serum biochemistry, bile culture, and liver biopsy histology results. Fifty-six cases met the inclusion criteria. The median age at diagnosis was 12 years (range, 5-16 years). Miniature or toy pure-breed dogs were most commonly affected, including Poodles, Pomeranians, Schnauzers, Bichon frises and Chihuahuas. However, no breed was over-represented compared with their expected proportions among annual hospital admissions. Histological evidence of cholecystitis was present in 84% of cases, including acute cholecystitis in 18%, chronic cholecystitis in 37.5%, acute on chronic cholecystitis in 28% and acute with necrosis in 6%. The most common liver lesions were cholestasis in 64%, along with portal fibrosis in 55%, oedema in 50% and bile duct hyperplasia in 50%. Bile culture was positive in 29.6% of cases. Escherichia coli and Enterobacter species were most commonly isolated. Stentrophomonas maltophili was cultured from one case. Of the 16 cases where bacteria were isolated from bile culture, 94% had evidence of chronic cholecystitis and 81% had evidence of cholangiohepatitis. Fifty dogs (89.3%) survived to discharge including 5/5 dogs with ruptured gallbladders. Of 34 dogs with follow-up data, 21/34 (61.8%) were still alive 12 months later. Gallbladder mucocoeles were frequently associated with both acute and chronic inflammation. High survival rates to discharge were achieved., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement None of the authors has any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)