Felis ISSN 2398-2950
Pancreas: fluke
Contributor(s): Philip K Nicholls, Kenneth Simpson
Introduction
- Cause: parasitic fluke Eurytrema procyonis.
- Signs: often vague, weight loss, vomiting Vomiting.
- Diagnosis: demonstration of fluke eggs in feces.
- Treatment: flukicides, eg fenbendazole, praziquantel.
- Prognosis: fair.
Pathogenesis
Predisposing factors
General
- Outdoor cats at increased risk as exposure to intermediate host required for infection.
Pathophysiology
- Presence of flukes causes inflammation and fibrosis or can cause direct obstruction to pancreatic ducts.
- Ingestion of intermediate host, eg snail or grasshopper → infection with fluke.
- Flukes live in pancreatic ducts → thickening and distension of ducts.
- Chronic obstruction → pancreatic fibrosis and atrophy → signs of pancreatic disease.
- Fluke eggs shed in feces.
Timecourse
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Anderson W I, Georgi M E & Car B D (1987) Pancreatic atrophy and fibrosis associated with Eurytrema procyonis in a domestic cat. Vet Rec 120 (10), 235-236 PubMed.
- Fox J N, Mosley J G, Vogler G A et al (1981) Pancreatic function in domestic cats with pancreatic fluke infection. JAVMA 178 (1), 58-60 PubMed.
- Sheldon W G (1966) Pancreatic flukes (Eurytrema procyonis) in domestic cats. JAVMA 148 (3), 251-253 PubMed.