Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dogs with biliary rupture can have normal blood bilirubin levels
By Wilson, Kassandra et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2021·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dogs with biliary rupture based on ultrasound findings may have normal total serum bilirubin values.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suspected to have a ruptured bile duct were examined using ultrasound, and surprisingly, many had normal bilirubin levels in their blood. This can lead to missed diagnoses and delayed treatment, which can be dangerous. In this study, out of 30 dogs with confirmed ruptured biliary tracts, 12 had normal bilirubin levels. The researchers found that other signs, like increased white blood cells, were more reliable indicators of a problem. It's important for pet owners to know that normal bilirubin levels don't rule out serious conditions like biliary rupture, so if your dog shows symptoms, be sure to discuss all possibilities with your vet.
People also search for: dog bile duct rupture symptoms · normal bilirubin levels in dogs · dog abdominal ultrasound results
Abstract
The absence of hyperbilirubinemia can lead to decreased suspicion of biliary rupture in dogs. This delay of suspicion and treatment can result in increased mortality rates. The objective of this retrospective, observational study was to describe ultrasound and serum bilirubin findings in a group of dogs with an ultrasonographic diagnosis of suspected biliary rupture. The records of a single institution were searched over the period of 2007-2019 for cases having ultrasound reports describing suspicion of biliary rupture. Clinical findings for each of the cases were recorded. A total of 35 dogs met inclusion criteria and, of these, 30 dogs had confirmed ruptured biliary tracts. It was found that 40% (12/30) of dogs with confirmed ruptured biliary tracts had a serum bilirubin values within the normal reference range. No statistical difference was found in serum bilirubin values between the ruptured and nonruptured biliary tracts. Leukocytosis and neutrophilia were found to be statistically significant between ruptured and nonruptured biliary tracts. Mucinous material, similar to "white bile" found in human literature, was found within the peritoneal effusion of six dogs with biliary rupture, three of which also lacked bile pigment. Findings from this study indicated that normobilirubinemia may be present in some dogs with biliary rupture, and therefore should not be used as a reason for excluding this differential diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33340195/