Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kidney size differs in dogs with types of portosystemic shunts
By Murakami, Masahiro et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2023·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomographic measures of renomegaly vary among dogs with different types of congenital portosystemic shunts.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts (PSS) were examined for enlarged kidneys, a condition known as renomegaly. The study found that 86.8% of these dogs had enlarged kidneys, especially those with intrahepatic and extrahepatic portocaval shunts. The size of the kidneys was measured using CT scans, and it was noted that dogs with certain types of shunts had larger kidneys than others. The findings suggest that the severity of liver dysfunction and the amount of blood bypassing the liver may affect kidney size. Understanding these differences can help veterinarians better diagnose and treat dogs with PSS.
People also search for: dog kidney enlargement symptoms · congenital portosystemic shunt treatment · dog kidney size CT scan
Abstract
Renomegaly has been reported in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts (PSS). However, no study has objectively evaluated the degree of renomegaly in dogs with different types of PSS. The purpose of this retrospective, analytical, cross-sectional study was to determine kidney size (renal length-to-L2 vertebral body ratio; RL/L2 ratio) using CT in dogs with different types of PSS and correlate with clinical information. A medical record search for dogs with a PSS diagnosed using CT between 2016 and 2020 was conducted. Breed, age, sex, body weight, and biochemistry results were recorded. Kidney and L2 vertebral body lengths were measured using multiplanar reformatted CT images, and the RL/L2 ratio was calculated. Dogs were categorized into four groups based on PSS morphology for comparisons: intrahepatic (IH; n = 19), extrahepatic portocaval (EHPC; n = 20), extrahepatic portoazygos (EHPA; n = 7), or extrahepatic portophrenic (EHPP, n = 7). The RL/L2 ratio (mean ± SD) was largest in IH (3.55 ± 0.38) and EHPC (3.55 ± 0.38), followed by EHPP (3.10 ± 0.23), and EHPA (2.78 ± 0.18). RL/L2 ratio was significantly larger in EHPC and IH (vs. EHPA and EHPP [P < .01]). Significant correlations between kidney size and creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, total protein, and ammonia were present. Renomegaly was observed in 86.8% of dogs with PSS overall, but it was uncommon in dogs with EHPA and less common in dogs with EHPP, as these two groups showed clinical signs later in life, made evident by older age at presentation. The authors suggest that the severity of hepatic dysfunction and the shunted blood volume may influence the development of renomegaly in dogs with PSS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37850502/