EXPRESS: Lymphocytic ganglionitis associated with intestinal obstruction in two cats with chronic enteropathy

Case series summary Neuromuscular gastrointestinal disorders are rarely reported in cats and may cause severe dysmotility. We describe two cats with chronic gastrointestinal signs in which histopathology revealed lymphocytic enteric ganglionitis involving both the myenteric and submucosal plexuses, associated with lymphoplasmacytic enteritis. In case 1, chronic gastric stasis and anorexia progressed to vomiting and proximal gastrointestinal dilation, and surgery identified duodenal adhesions and stenosis; the cat deteriorated postoperatively and was euthanized. In case 2, abdominal distension and suspected obstruction were associated with severe intestinal gas distension, faecal impaction, and ileocolic stenosis requiring surgical resection. Pyridostigmine was started but discontinued because of suspected adverse effects, and the cat later died of congestive heart failure. Relevance and novel information This case series highlights lymphocytic enteric ganglionitis as a possible cause or contributor to chronic intestinal dysmotility in cats, even in the presence of concurrent obstructive lesions. It also expands the limited veterinary literature on this condition and supports its inclusion among differential diagnoses in cats with chronic pseudo-obstructive gastrointestinal signs.