Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Caudal vena cava kinking linked to ascites in dogs
By Pelosi, Augusta et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2012·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Caudal vena cava kinking in dogs with ascites.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old dog with fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites) was found to have a twisted blood vessel (caudal vena cava) during an ultrasound. This twisting was observed when the dog was lying on its side, and it was discovered that the kinking could happen as a result of the fluid buildup rather than causing it. In an experimental study, researchers induced ascites in a healthy dog and found that after injecting 2 liters of fluid, the same kinking occurred. This suggests that while blood vessel obstruction can lead to fluid buildup, the kinking can also be a consequence of the condition.
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Abstract
A 9-year-old dog with spontaneous ascites was found to have hepatic vein distension and a tortuous vena cava on abdominal ultrasound. In right lateral recumbency, the caudal vena cava crossed the diaphragm and became kinked before entering into the right atrium. Following this observation, we performed an experimental study in a normal dog to determine whether kinking of the caudal vena cava could be the result and not the cause of ascites. Ascites was induced using warm saline injected through a needle inserted into the abdominal cavity. Venograms were collected from different body positions, under four conditions: before and after a total of one, two and 3 liters of saline had been injected. Caudal vena cava kinking was observed in the experimental dog after 2 liters of fluid had been injected. Vena cava obstruction may cause ascites, but we found that sometimes caudal vena cava kinking can be the result and not the cause of the peritoneal effusion.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22462605/