Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan measures blood flow in dogs with a liver shunt
By Amaha, Takao et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2019·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomographic-derived measurements of shunt fraction and hepatic perfusion in dogs with a single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt in a clinical setting.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 36 dogs with a condition called extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EPSS), which affects blood flow to the liver, underwent a special CT scan to measure how well blood was flowing and how much of it was being diverted away from the liver. The results showed that younger dogs (under 3 years) had a higher rate of blood shunting compared to older dogs. The study found that these CT measurements could help veterinarians understand the severity of the condition and plan appropriate treatments. This information could be valuable for managing dogs with EPSS.
People also search for: dog portosystemic shunt treatment · CT scan for dog liver problems · symptoms of liver shunt in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical feasibility and usefulness of measuring shunt fraction (SF) and hepatic perfusion with CT in dogs with a single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EPSS). ANIMALS: 36 client-owned dogs with EPSS. PROCEDURES: Dogs with EPSS referred for treatment between February 2016 and May 2017 were eligible for the clinical trial. Shunt type, SF, and hepatic perfusion were determined in each dog with a 320-row multidetector CT scanner, and surgical treatment was performed by a single veterinary surgeon. Differences in results between dogs grouped according to age (< 3 years vs ≥ 3 years), shunt type, and subgroups (eg, clinical signs and surgical procedure) were analyzed, and correlations between the SF and hepatic perfusion variables were evaluated. RESULTS: The median SF was higher in dogs < 3 years old (74.6%; n = 18) versus dogs ≥ 3 years old (35.1%; 18). Correlations were identified between SF and hepatic perfusion variables, and differences in results for SF and hepatic perfusion variables were detected between dogs grouped according to shunt type. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that CT-derived measurements of SF and hepatic perfusion variables in dogs with EPSS were feasible and could be useful (eg, estimating EPSS condition status and planning treatment) in clinical settings. In addition, our findings suggested that perfusion CT could be useful for distinguishing hemodynamic characteristics among different types of portosystemic shunts in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31517575/