Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Right kidney halo sign on X-rays in dogs with acute pancreatitis
By Huguet, Elodie et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital AssociationĀ·2025Ā·From the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Right Renal Halo Sign in Dogs with Presumed Acute Pancreatitis on Radiographs: A Pilot Study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with suspected acute pancreatitis was examined using X-rays to see if a specific sign, called the right renal halo sign, could help in diagnosing the condition. Out of 39 dogs with pancreatitis, 33% showed this halo sign, compared to only 12.5% of dogs with other abdominal issues and just 3% of healthy dogs. This finding suggests that the right renal halo sign is more common in dogs with acute pancreatitis and could assist veterinarians in making a diagnosis.
People also search for: dog pancreatitis symptoms Ā· dog X-ray results Ā· what does a renal halo sign mean in dogs
Abstract
Radiographic signs of acute pancreatitis in dogs include widening of the pyloroduodenal angle and a cranial abdominal mass effect/decreased serosal detail. In some dogs with acute pancreatitis, it has been anecdotally noted that the right renal silhouette could be well visualized on the ventrodorsal abdominal radiograph. The purpose of this study was to see whether increased right renal conspicuity (i.e., renal "halo" sign) is associated with pancreatitis, other causes of a right cranial abdominal mass effect, decreased abdominal serosal detail as with the presence of peritoneal effusion, or perhaps representing a normal variation. The medical records of 100 dogs were retrospectively collected and divided into four groups, including control dogs (n = 30), right-sided hepatic mass effect (n = 16), peritoneal effusion (n = 15), and acute pancreatitis (n = 39). Ventrodorsal radiographs from each case were randomized for evaluation by a radiologist blinded to the final diagnosis. A right renal halo sign was identified in 13/39 (33%) of dogs with acute pancreatitis, 2/16 (12.5%) dogs with a right cranial abdominal mass effect, and 1/30 (3%) control dog. This study supports that the renal halo signs on ventrodorsal radiographs is most prevalent in dogs with acute pancreatitis and may help support a clinical diagnosis of this medical disorder.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40531083/