Giant cell hepatitis with Platynosomum illiciens infection in a Japanese domestic cat

A 6-y-old, spayed female, mixed-breed cat developed anorexia, weight loss, and watery diarrhea, and later died. Elevated liver enzyme activities and mild anemia were present antemortem. Generalized jaundice and a diffusely yellow liver with dark-red foci were noted at postmortem examination. Cytologically, hepatocytes contained abundant fine-to-large vacuoles, and multinucleate giant hepatocytes were present. Histologically, the liver had severe centrilobular necrosis, severe biliary congestion, and multinucleation of hepatocytes, leading to the diagnosis of giant cell hepatitis. In addition, flukes present in bile ducts were identified as Platynosomum illiciens by morphologic and molecular analyses. These flukes were genetically similar to P. illiciens in Southeast Asia and South America.