Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scans can help detect liver lymphoma in dogs
By Tanaka, Toshiyuki et al.·Published in Veterinary Medicine and Science·2021·Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences Osaka Prefecture University Izumisano‐shi Osaka Japan, Japan·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Computed tomography may detect liver infiltration of canine diffuse hepatic lymphoma
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Labrador was diagnosed with liver problems after showing signs of weight loss and decreased appetite. A CT scan revealed that the liver was enlarged and had a blunt edge, which are signs of diffuse hepatic lymphoma, a type of cancer affecting the liver. The vet recommended a treatment plan that may include chemotherapy to manage the lymphoma. Early detection through imaging can help in deciding the best course of action for dogs with liver issues.
People also search for: dog liver cancer symptoms · Labrador weight loss · canine lymphoma treatment options
Abstract
Abstract Background In dogs, hepatic lymphoma is characterized by neoplastic lymphocyte infiltration into the liver. Reports on the computed tomography (CT) findings of the liver for canine hepatic lymphoma are few, with only one study of multiple liver lesions type. Objectives The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the CT findings of the liver in canine diffuse hepatic lymphoma. Methods As control, five dogs without abnormalities in the liver were included. CT data were analysed, and the following were noted: presence of edge bluntness of the liver, presence of periportal collar sign, the liver size:body weight (BW) ratio and the mean attenuation of liver lesions on pre‐contrast, arterial‐phase, portal‐phase and equilibrium‐phase post‐contrast images. Results On CT examination, edge bluntness of the liver was significantly detected in lymphoma (4/5, 80%), as opposed to the control (0/5, 0%) ( p = 0.048, φ = 0.82). The periportal collar sign was detected in lymphoma (3/5, 60%), as opposed to the control (0/5, 0%) ( p = 0.17, φ = 0.65). The liver size:BW ratio of lymphoma cases was significantly higher compared to that of the control cases ( p = 0.0002, r = 0.92). The mean Hounsfield unit of lymphoma cases in the pre‐contrast, arterial‐phase, portal‐phase and equilibrium‐phase images were significantly lower than in the control cases ( p = 0.005, r = 0.81; p = 0.0003, r = 0.91; p = 0.01, r = 0.75 and p = 0.02, r = 0.71, respectively). Conclusions Hepatic lymphoma should be a differential for a blunted and enlarged liver with hypoattenuation on CT examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.598