Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Contrast MRI helps diagnose portosystemic shunts in 10 dogs
By Bruehschwein, Andreas et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2010·Clinic for Small Animal Surgery and Reproduction, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for diagnosis of portosystemic shunts in 10 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Ten dogs suspected of having a portosystemic shunt (PSS), a condition where blood bypasses the liver, underwent advanced imaging using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA). This technique helped identify various types of shunts, including portocaval and portoazygos shunts, which were later confirmed during surgery. The study found that CE-MRA is an effective method for diagnosing PSS in dogs, allowing for better visualization of the blood vessels in the abdomen. All dogs received the necessary surgical treatment after diagnosis.
People also search for: dog portosystemic shunt symptoms · dog liver shunt diagnosis · contrast MRI for dogs
Abstract
Computed tomography angiography, sonography, scintigraphy, and portography can be used to evaluate the portal vasculature to evaluate for a portosystemic shunt (PSS). Time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) and contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) are other potentially useful techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate CE-MRA in 10 dogs suspected of having a PSS. Noncontrast MR images of the abdomen were obtained using a Siemens Symphony MR-scanner (1.5 T) and a T1-weighted FLASH-3D sequence with a very short scan time (about 20 s). After injection of contrast medium, the initial sequence was repeated five times. The sequence with the best contrast medium filling of the portal vasculature was selected subjectively, subtracted from the initial survey image series, and a maximum intensity projection (MIP) of the subtraction data, in multiple views, was created. The cross-sectional and MIP images were evaluated for abnormal portosystemic vasculature. A single PSS was identified and confirmed at surgery in all dogs. A portocaval shunt was found in five dogs, a portophrenic shunt in three dogs, a portoazygos shunt in one, and a central divisional intrahepatic shunt in one other dog. Based on our results, CE-MRA is a useful tool for imaging abdominal and portal vasculature and for the diagnosis of a PSS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20402393/