HEPATOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH EXCESSIVE HEPATIC COPPER IN A SIAMESE CAT

A 2-year-old spayed female Siamese cat was presented with clinical liv er disease characterized by anorexia; depression; elevations in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and la ctate dehydrogenase; hyperbilirubinemia; and icterus. Liver biopsy dia gnosed hepatocellular degeneration with marked centrilobular hepatocel lular accumulation of rhodanine-positive brown granules. Subsequent po stmortem examination revealed similar granular material in the epithel ium of the proximal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts of the kid ney and alveolar epithelium and macrophages in the lung. The liver and kidney copper concentrations were 4,074 and 792 ppm dry weight, respe ctively. Hepatic degeneration in this cat apparently was due to excess ive accumulation of copper.