Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kidney ultrasound stripes linked to kidney disease in cats
By Bentley, Carli et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2023·The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital. Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The ultrasonographic appearance of renal medullary striations and their association with renal disease and renal histopathology in domestic cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 27 male cats were found to have a specific ultrasound appearance called medullary striations (MS) in their kidneys, which was linked to higher levels of protein in their urine and signs of urinary tract inflammation. These cats showed a significantly higher rate of proteinuria (0.46 compared to 0.16 in healthy cats) and were more likely to have active urinary sediments. Although no differences were found in urinary cultures, the presence of MS may indicate underlying kidney issues. Identifying these striations could help vets detect kidney problems earlier.
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Abstract
Medullary striations (MS) have been anecdotally observed on ultrasound of feline kidneys; however, their significance is unknown. Aims of this retrospective, case control, pilot study were to describe the appearance, prevalence, and clinicopathological correlates of MS in a referral feline population. Still images from 1247 feline abdominal ultrasound studies performed between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed. Cats with MS were identified and compared with age-matched controls. Serum urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphate, and calcium-phosphate-product, plus urine specific gravity, urine protein: creatinine ratio (UPC), prevalence of active sediment (defined as > 5 red (RBC) or white blood cells (WBC) per high-power field) and prevalence of positive urine culture were compared between MS and control groups using the Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's Exact test. Data are presented as median [range]. 27 cats were identified as having MS, giving a prevalence of 2.2% with a significantly higher proportion being seen in males (P = 0.018). Medullary striation cats had significantly higher UPC values than controls (0.46 [0.16-7.57] vs. 0.16 [0.07-2.27]; P = 0.006). Cats with MS were more likely to have active urinary sediments (39% vs 8%, P = 0.023), but no difference in prevalence of positive urinary cultures was observed between groups. There was no significant difference in other parameters between MS and control cats. Renal histopathology performed in three MS cats revealed focal regions of linear medullary fibrosis. Medullary striations are associated with proteinuria and urinary tract inflammation in cats, which may reflect renal tubular dysfunction and/or inflammation. Hence identification might allow for earlier detection of renal pathology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36281213/