Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How chest X-rays and ultrasounds help diagnose immune anemia in dogs
By Andres, Michael et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2019·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic utility of thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound in canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), a condition where the immune system attacks red blood cells, underwent thoracic X-rays and abdominal ultrasounds to check for other health issues. The tests showed that in many cases, the same evaluations could have been done without these imaging studies. This suggests that while X-rays and ultrasounds can sometimes help, they may not always be necessary for diagnosing or managing IMHA. More research is needed to determine how often these imaging tests reveal important information for treatment or prognosis.
People also search for: dog immune-mediated hemolytic anemia treatment · dog X-ray for anemia · abdominal ultrasound for dog anemia
Abstract
The utility of thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound to identify abnormalities in canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is evaluated. Dogs with regenerative anemias and a clinical diagnosis of IMHA that had thoracic radiographs or abdominal ultrasound performed as part of the evaluation were included. The utility of imaging studies was assessed based on a previously utilized scheme. Patient population and clinical signs were consistent with previous reports of IMHA. In 38 out of 50 dogs, the same clinical evaluation and assessment would have been performed without thoracic radiographs. In 32 out of 64 dogs, the same clinical evaluation and assessment would have been performed without abdominal ultrasound. The results indicate that thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound are of variable utility in identifying concurrent abnormalities in canine patients with IMHA. Prospective studies should be designed to further investigate whether abnormalities identified on imaging studies are related to the IMHA or affect patient prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31597991/