Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is portal vein blood clot in dogs on CT scan
By von Stade, L E et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2021·Colorado State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of portal vein thrombosis detected by computed tomography angiography in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 223 dogs underwent a special imaging test called computed tomography angiography to check for portal vein thrombosis, a serious condition where a blood clot forms in the vein that carries blood from the intestines to the liver. Out of these dogs, 28 (about 13%) were found to have this condition, with the highest occurrence in dogs suffering from pancreatitis (42%). Interestingly, the outcomes for dogs with and without portal vein thrombosis were similar, meaning that having the clot didn't necessarily lead to worse health. The study also found that ultrasound was less effective than CT angiography in detecting these clots.
People also search for: dog portal vein thrombosis symptoms · pancreatitis in dogs treatment · CT angiography for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate dogs with computed tomography angiography of the abdomen for overall prevalence of portal vein thrombosis and prevalence of portal vein thrombosis based on different disease categories. To evaluate dogs with and without portal vein thrombosis for differences in outcome. To compare ultrasound to computed tomographic angiography for identification of portal vein thrombosis. METHODS: Abdominal computed tomography angiography of 223 client-owned animals was reviewed for evidence of portal vein thrombosis. Based on medical records, dogs were assigned to disease categories: (1) liver disease; (2) non-hepatic neoplasia; (3) pancreatitis; (4) infectious disease; (5) immune-mediated disease; (6) other; (7) multiple diseases. Different categories were compared for the prevalence of portal vein thrombosis. Outcome was evaluated in dogs with and without portal vein thrombosis. Ultrasound reports were reviewed to determine the detection of thrombosis on ultrasound. RESULTS: Twenty-eight dogs (13%) had portal vein thrombosis. The pancreatitis category contained the highest percentage of portal vein thrombosis among different categories (eight of 19; 42%). There was a similar outcome between dogs with and without portal vein thrombosis. Of 21 dogs with portal vein thrombosis that had ultrasound performed, ultrasound detected thrombosis in four of 21 (19%) cases. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this study, portal vein thrombosis prevalence was higher in dogs with pancreatitis compared to dogs with liver disease, non-hepatic neoplasia and other abdominal or systemic disease. The portal system should be carefully evaluated with imaging in dogs with pancreatitis. As compared to ultrasound, CT angiography is the imaging method of choice for detection of portal vein thrombosis in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33687080/