Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound patterns and symptoms in 43 dogs with gallbladder mucoceles
By Choi, Jihye et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2014·Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison between ultrasonographic and clinical findings in 43 dogs with gallbladder mucoceles.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 43 dogs with gallbladder mucoceles, a condition where the gallbladder fills with thick mucus, was studied to see how their ultrasound results matched their symptoms. Some dogs showed signs of illness, like vomiting or abdominal pain, while others were asymptomatic. The treatment varied: some dogs underwent surgery to remove the gallbladder, while others were managed with medication or just monitored. The study found that the ultrasound patterns didn’t reliably predict whether a dog would have symptoms or need surgery. Overall, treatment decisions were made based on the dog's condition and the owner's preferences.
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Abstract
Cholecystectomy is the current standard recommended treatment for dogs with gallbladder mucoceles. However, medical management with monitoring has also been recommended for asymptomatic dogs. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare ultrasonographic patterns of gallbladder mucoceles with clinical disease status in a group of dogs. For each included dog, the ultrasonographic pattern of the mucocele was classified into one of six types: type 1, immobile echogenic bile; type 2, incomplete stellate pattern; type 3, typical stellate pattern; type 4, kiwi like pattern and stellate combination; type 5, kiwi like pattern with residual central echogenic bile; and type 6, kiwi like pattern. A total of 43 dogs were included. Twenty-four dogs, including 11 dogs with gallbladder rupture, were symptomatic. Nineteen dogs were asymptomatic. Cholecystectomy (n = 19), medical therapy (n = 17), or monitoring (n = 6) treatments were applied according to clinical signs and owners' requests. One dog suspected of having gallbladder rupture was euthanized. Frequencies of gallbladder mucocele patterns were as follows: type 1 = 10 (23%), type 2 = 13 (30%), type 3 = 5 (12%), type 4 = 11 (26%), type 5 = 4 (9%), and type 6 = 0. In dogs with gallbladder rupture, type 2 (8/13) was the most common. No significant correlations were found between ultrasonographic patterns of gallbladder mucoceles and clinical disease status or gallbladder rupture. Findings indicated that ultrasonographic patterns of gallbladder mucoceles may not be valid bases for treatment recommendations in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24219310/