A portosystemic shunt (PSS) is an abnormal vessel that lets blood from the gut bypass the liver. Toxins, especially ammonia, reach the brain and cause hepatic encephalopathy, and the liver shrinks because it is deprived of portal blood. Cats are often young, have neurological signs and drooling, and may have copper-coloured irises.
Key facts
Liver shunts at a glance- Species and system: cat, liver and portal circulation.
- Usual type: congenital, single, extrahepatic (73-100% of feline congenital shunts in Tivers 2011).
- Signalment: most affected cats are under 6 months old; Persian, Himalayan and Siamese cats are suggested to be predisposed, but most cases are domestic shorthairs.
- Classic presentation: neurological signs worse after meals, ptyalism, poor growth, copper irises.
- Key results: low urea, microcytosis, markedly raised bile acids, ammonium biurate crystals.
- Treatment: at least 2 weeks of medical stabilisation, then surgical attenuation.
What's inside
11 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 7 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
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