Understanding feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia

Abstract

Feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia is a recently described disease in cats that presents as eosinophilic masses that are associated with the gastrointestinal tract and associated abdominal lymph nodes, often localised near the pylorus or ileocaecocolic junction. Feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia is seen predominantly in middle-aged cats, with Ragdoll cats being overrepresented. Clinical signs are often chronic, typically including weight loss, hyporexia and vomiting. Bloodwork abnormalities most frequently documented in cats with feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia are eosinophilia, anaemia and hypoalbuminaemia. The diagnosis of feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia is usually confirmed on histopathology and infectious organisms are identified in about one-to two-thirds of cases in different studies. Corticosteroids are important in the treatment of cats with feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia, with cats being treated by surgery alone having a significantly shorter survival time than those cats treated with surgery and corticosteroids combined.