Imaging findings in cats with FIP: from POCUS to MRI

Overview

From POCUS to MRI Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) has historically been considered a fatal disease, but the advent of antiviral treatments has transformed its diagnosis and management. Diagnostic imaging plays a valuable role in identifying lesions associated with FIP, prioritising differential diagnoses, guiding sampling procedures, and monitoring treatment response.

This lecture will review the imaging findings associated with FIP across multiple modalities, including thoracic radiography, abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants will learn the most common thoracic and abdominal abnormalities reported in the literature and observed in clinical practice, including pleural and peritoneal effusions, lymphadenomegaly, hepatic, gastrointestinal and renal lesions.

The lecture will also discuss the imaging manifestations of neurological FIP, with emphasis on characteristic MRI findings such as ventriculomegaly, meningeal enhancement, and spinal cord abnormalities. In addition, attendees will gain insight into the evolution of imaging findings during and after antiviral treatment, highlighting which lesions resolve and which may persist despite clinical remission. Through a combination of published evidence and clinical case examples, this lecture aims to improve the recognition of FIP-associated imaging abnormalities and support the diagnostic work-up of affected cats.