Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How CT scans detect blood vessel invasion by adrenal tumors in dogs
By Schultz, Ryan M et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2009·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography as a preoperative indicator of vascular invasion from adrenal masses in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with adrenal masses underwent a special type of imaging called contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to check for blood vessel invasion before surgery. The CT scans were very accurate, correctly identifying vascular invasion in 11 out of 12 dogs, which means it helped vets plan the best treatment. In most cases, the masses were found to be malignant, especially in dogs with a specific type of tumor called pheochromocytoma. Overall, the CT scans provided valuable information that helped guide the surgical approach for these dogs.
People also search for: dog adrenal mass treatment · dog CT scan for tumors · pheochromocytoma in dogs
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) accurately reflected vascular luminal invasion by adrenal masses in dogs. Medical records of 15 dogs with 17 adrenal masses that underwent preoperative CT imaging were reviewed. Presence or absence of vascular invasion was confirmed by surgery or necropsy/histology. Vascular invasion was identified correctly using contrast-enhanced CT in 11/12 dogs. The sensitivity and specificity of contrast-enhanced CT for vascular invasion compared with surgery or necropsy was 92% and 100%, respectively. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of contrast-enhanced CT was 100% and 90%, respectively. The accuracy was 95%. In one dog, invasion of the phrenicoabdominal vein was not identified on CT images. Six of eight masses with vascular invasion where a histologic diagnosis was obtained were malignant. Four of four pheochromocytomas invaded adjacent vasculature. Contrast-enhanced CT provided accurate preoperative assessment of adrenal masses. Vascular invasion by adrenal masses in this study occurred by way of the lumen of the phrenicoabdominal vein with subsequent intraluminal extension into other veins, rather than by erosion through vessel walls.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19999346/