Assistant Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Presentation Description / Summary: Feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy and triaditis are commonly diagnosed in veterinary practice, but interpretation of diagnostic test results and selection of appropriate treatment can be nuanced. During this presentation, we will review updated pathophysiology of feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy and triaditis, and discuss key cellular players in the local inflammatory responses, including intestinal T cell subsets and the distinction between severe chronic inflammation and neoplasia. Attendees will learn the benefits and limitations of immunohistochemistry and PARR, including a review of current knowledge regarding clonal expansions of T cell populations in cats and a comparison to those seen in human systemic lupus erythematosus and Crohn's disease. This session will review how practitioners can use the results of diagnostic testing to optimize selection of individualized therapies such as selecting the appropriate dietary, microbiome, and medication therapies. The future of sequencing-based diagnostics and new therapies that may be considered in upcoming years will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the advantages and limitations of using PARR and immunohistochemistry to distinguish severe inflammation from neoplasia in cats, including situations that could cause false positive or negative results.
2. List criteria that would indicate that current therapy is ineffective and that step-up therapies should be considered.
3. Select appropriate nutritional, medical, and microbiome-based therapy based on current literature.
4. Describe how emerging technologies could influence new individualized approaches to therapy.
