Feline hepatic lipidosis is a disorder characterised by severe accumulation of fat in hepatocytes, which may
result in liver dysfunction and sometimes death. In the UK and Europe, the disease seems to be rarely
recognised or frequently unreported. The reasons for this low occurrence are currently unknown. This
retrospective study is the first report of cases of feline hepatic lipidosis occurring in the UK.
Case records were retrospectively reviewed from six United Kingdom referral centres. Thirty seven cases fitted
the inclusion criteria for the study. The most common clinical signs were anorexia, jaundice, weight loss,
lethargy and vomiting. Clinicopathological abnormalities included mild normocytic normochromic anaemia,
neutrophilia, elevated alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma
glutamyl transferase, cholesterol, triglycerides, hyperbilirubinaemia, hypoalbuminemia, low urea, hypokalaemia
and hypocalcaemia. All thirty seven cases had hepatomegaly on abdominal ultrasound. Cytology of fine-needle
aspirates of the liver , histopathology of tru-cut biopsies and wedge liver biopsies were consistent with marked
hepatocellular cytoplasmic vacuolation (glycogen and fat); compatible with hepatic lipidosis. An underlying
illness was not identified in eighteen cases; in the remaining nineteen cases, hepatic lipidosis was secondary to
pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, encephalitis, cholangitis, pulmonary inflammation,
lymphoma, congenital portosystemic shunt and hyperthyroidism. Eight cases from the thirty seven died and six
were euthanased due to deterioration of the clinical signs. Twenty-two cases recovered and are currently free
from clinical signs. Only one case had a relapse of clinical signs.
In conclusion, feline hepatic lipidosis does occur among the feline population in the UK and presumably in a
more global setting given its aetiopathogenesis, and veterinarians should consider this disease in their
differential diagnoses for any ill patient with anorexia.