Descriptive assessment of cardiac changes in cats with feline infectious peritonitis.

FIP causes myocarditis in cats; elevated cTnI and LV thickening may reverse with treatment.

This prospective study evaluated cardiac involvement in 20 cats with naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) using echocardiography and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) measurement. Cats were screened for concurrent infections (FIV, FeLV, Dirofilaria immitis, Bartonella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and SARS-COV-2) that could contribute to myocarditis. Left ventricular posterior wall thickening was documented in 55% of cats on right parasternal long axis view and 25% on short axis view. Pleural effusion occurred in 40% of cats and pericardial effusion in 25%, though cardiac causes were not identified. Median initial cTnI was 0.37 ng/mL (IQR 0.20-0.83), exceeding the reference interval of 0.20 ng/mL. Follow-up cTnI testing after 12 weeks of antiviral therapy in 6 cats with initially elevated levels showed normalization to <0.20 ng/mL in all cases. These findings demonstrate that FIP-associated myocarditis or myocardial injury is more frequent than previously recognized and may be reversible with appropriate antiviral treatment.

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