Case summaryA 13-month-old, female, mixed breed, 4.0 kg cat was referred with a 6 month history of decreased appetite, loss of vigour and intermittent vomiting. Physical examination revealed no cyanosis or wasting, and no audible heart murmur was auscultated. Blood profile revealed mild anaemia and mildly elevated postprandial serum ammonia (109 µg/dl). Abdominal ultrasonography revealed dilation of an intrahepatic portal vein branch and an intrahepatic aneurysm, with splenomegaly and ascites. Hepatic arteriovenous fistula/hepatic artery–portal vein fistula with multiple acquired portosystemic shunts was strongly suspected. Medical control was achieved using antibiotics, liver-protecting agents, a low-protein diet and blood transfusions. However, because medical treatment proved ineffective, coil embolisation was performed on day 11, using a hybrid approach via the mesenteric vein. Subsequent follow-up showed good appetite, with no signs of diarrhoea or ascites. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed that the mosaic pattern around the site of coil placement in the portal vein branch had improved and pulsatility had disappeared.
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