Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How scans find liver blood vessel shunts in dogs cats and pigs
By Koblik, P D & Hornof, W J·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1995·Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Transcolonic sodium pertechnetate Tc 99m scintigraphy for diagnosis of macrovascular portosystemic shunts in dogs, cats, and potbellied pigs: 176 cases (1988-1992).
Plain-English summary
A group of 162 dogs and 10 cats underwent a special imaging test called transcolonic sodium pertechnetate scintigraphy to check for a serious condition known as portosystemic shunting, where blood bypasses the liver. Out of the scans, 97 were positive for this condition, with 85 confirmed as true positives, meaning those pets likely had the issue. The test showed good accuracy overall, helping veterinarians diagnose this potentially life-threatening problem effectively. If your pet is showing signs of liver issues, this imaging test could be a valuable tool for your vet.
People also search for: dog liver disease symptoms · cat portosystemic shunt diagnosis · imaging tests for dog liver problems
Abstract
Medical records of 176 animals that underwent transcolonic sodium pertechnetate Tc 99m scintigraphy between September 1988 and June 1992 were reviewed. The study included 162 dogs, 10 cats, and 4 potbellied pigs. Whenever possible, scan results were confirmed during exploratory surgery or necropsy. For animals that did not undergo surgery or necropsy, additional medical information, (ie, results of histologic examination of hepatic biopsy specimens, clinicopathologic testing, abdominal ultrasonography, and clinical outcome) was evaluated to estimate the likelihood that the scan interpretation was correct. Interpretations were classified as confirmed true, probable true, possible false, or unconfirmed results. Of the 97 scans interpreted as positive for portosystemic shunting, 85 were classified as confirmed true-positive results, 5 were classified as probable true-positive results, and 7 were classified as unconfirmed results. None were classified as confirmed or possible false-positive results. Of the 79 scans interpreted as negative for portosystemic shunting, 3 were classified as confirmed true-negative results, 54 were classified as probable true-negative results, 1 was classified as a possible false-negative result, and 21 were classified as unconfirmed results. Our results suggest that transcolonic pertechnetate scintigraphy has satisfactory performance as a diagnostic test for macrovascular portosystemic shunting.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7657571/