Fibrosing pleuritis is a serious respiratory complication associated with chronic inflammation of the pleura, which leads to pleural thickening, atelectasis, or pulmonary entrapment, and an unfavorable prognosis. In cats, it is rare and is mainly caused by chylothorax—an effusion that is particularly irritating to the thoracic cavity. Chylous pleural effusions may occur secondary to disease or be idiopathic. This report describes the clinical presentation, laboratory, imaging, and histopathological findings of a case of severe fibrosing pleuritis secondary to chronic chylothorax in a domestic cat. A 3‐year‐old female mixed‐breed cat was treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, complaining of tachypnea, dyspnea, appetite loss, lethargy, and nausea. Imaging revealed marked bilateral pleural effusion with pulmonary atelectasis, and the pleural fluid was classified as a modified chylous effusion. The cat presented recurrence and unfavorable progression of the condition over a period of 34 months and died. At necropsy, severe fibrosing pleuritis, reduced lung volume, and pulmonary fibrosis were evidenced. Due to the poor prognosis, it is essential to identify the underlying disease early to intervene and prevent the development of pleural fibrosis.
Silva et al. (Thu,) studied this question.