Though, from my experience, the criteria does not hold truth for my cats -- I have about 5 or 6 cats who fall into all the three criteria for years and years and they don't have FIP - I guess the clinical signs are the critical key points here -- without the right clinical signs, don't necessary rely on these criteria
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of G. Lane Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2007 10:53 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: internist thinks Lucy has FIP Thanks for all the great info ... Gloria At 11:01 PM 1/20/2007, you wrote: >Here is one more link on diagnosing FIP, the >percentages that rule FIP in or out are interesting. > ><http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1316&articleid=212>http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1316&articleid=212 > >An excerpt from this site: > >"How is FIP diagnosed? > >Because we can not rely totally on the antibody >test for a diagnosis, we must combine the >history, clinical signs, laboratory results, >FCoV test result, and possibly radiographs to >come to a "probable" diagnosis. The only way to >be absolutely sure of an FIPV infection is to ><http:\\www.peteducation.com/http:\\www.peteducation.com/http:\\www.peteducation.com/javascript:popupWin1('/dictionary_term.cfm?term=biopsy&cls=1', > >50, 50, 350, 300)>biopsy affected tissues and >have them examined by a veterinarian >pathologist. As a result, most often the >diagnosis is made after the cat has died, a >postmortem examination has been performed and tissues have been examined. > >In an attempt to try to make the best diagnosis >we can while the cat is still alive, we can >follow these criteria for a cat with clinical signs of FIP: > * The cat has a low number of lymphocytes: 1.5x103 cells/µl. > * The cat has a positive FCoV test result (titer > 1:160). > * The cat has elevated globulins in his blood > 5.1 gm/dl. > >If the cat meets all three criteria, the >probability the cat has FIP is 88.9%. If the cat >does NOT meet all three criteria, the >probability the cat does NOT have FIP is 98.8%. > >In those cats who have fluid in the thorax or abdomen that can be analyzed: > * If the gamma globulin fraction in the > fluid is greater than 32%, the chances that the cat has FIP are almost 100%. > * If the albumin fraction is greater than > 48% or the ratio of albumin to globulin is > greater than 0.81, it is almost 100% certain that the cat does NOT have FIP. > > From this discussion, you can see that a > certain diagnosis of FIP is not made very > easily. Remember, the "gold standard" for > diagnosis of FIP is through microscopic > examinations of biopsies (a procedure called histopathology)." > >Beth > > >
