Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Detecting kidney calcium deposits in cats with ultrasound and CT
By Tang, Pak-Kan et al.Ā·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicineĀ·2024Ā·Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, United KingdomĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Detection of nephrocalcinosis using ultrasonography, micro-computed tomography, and histopathology in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were examined for signs of nephrocalcinosis, a condition where calcium builds up in the kidneys. The veterinarians used ultrasound to check for this condition, finding it present in some cats while others showed no signs. When the cats passed away, further tests confirmed the ultrasound results, showing a strong link between what was seen on the ultrasound and the actual kidney tissue changes. This study suggests that ultrasound can be a useful tool for detecting nephrocalcinosis in cats with CKD, helping vets make better treatment decisions.
People also search for: cat kidney disease symptoms Ā· nephrocalcinosis in cats Ā· ultrasound for cat kidney problems
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Identification of nephrocalcinosis in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is of clinical interest but the ability of ultrasonography to detect nephrocalcinosis is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To compare ultrasonography, micro-computed tomography (μCT) and histopathology for identification of nephrocalcinosis. ANIMALS: Twelve kidneys from 7 euthyroid client-owned cats with CKD. METHODS: Descriptive study. Renal ultrasonography was performed ante-mortem for nephrocalcinosis detection. Kidneys were grouped based on nephrocalcinosis: present, suspected, or absent. When cats died, necropsy was performed. Renal tissue was evaluated using μCT for macroscopic nephrocalcinosis, and nephrocalcinosis volume-to-kidney tissue ratio (macro-VN:KT) and sagittal nephrocalcinosis area-to-kidney tissue ratio (macro-AN:KT) were calculated. Each kidney subsequently was bisected longitudinally, formalin-fixed, and paraffin-embedded for microscopic nephrocalcinosis assessment using von Kossa and Alizarin red staining with AN:KT (VK-micro-AN:KT and AR-micro-AN:KT) quantified using ImageJ. Data are presented as median (range). Relationships between macroscopic and microscopic AN:KT were assessed using Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: Nephrocalcinosis by ultrasonography was considered to be absent in 3, suspected in 3, and present in 5 kidneys; 1 kidney had nephrolithiasis with nephrocalcinosis. The macro-VN:KT was 0.001%, 0.001%, and 0.019%, and the macro-AN:KT was 0.08%, 0.30%, and 1.47%, respectively. Histologically, VK-micro-AN:KT was 0.21%, 2.85%, and 4.56%, and AR-micro-AN:KT was 1.73%, 5.82%, and 8.90% for kidneys where ultrasonographic macro-nephrocalcinosis was absent, suspected, or present, respectively. A strong correlation was identified between macroscopic (macro-AN:KT) and microscopic (VK-micro-AN:KT) nephrocalcinosis (r = 0.76; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Ultrasonographically diagnosed nephrocalcinosis correlates well with macroscopic and microscopic nephrocalcinosis at necropsy despite their separation in time.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38348812/