Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal ultrasound spots in dogs often mean lacteal dilation
By Sutherland-Smith, James et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2007·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ultrasonographic intestinal hyperechoic mucosal striations in dogs are associated with lacteal dilation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 dogs showed signs of intestinal problems, specifically small intestinal hyperechoic mucosal striations, which were found during ultrasound exams. Most of these dogs also had a condition called lacteal dilation, where the lymph vessels in the intestines become enlarged, often linked to inflammation and protein-losing enteropathy (a condition where the body loses protein through the intestines). Symptoms included mild thickening of the intestinal walls and some had fluid in the abdomen. Treatments varied, but many dogs had biopsies to assess the severity of their condition, and most showed improvement with appropriate care.
People also search for: dog intestinal ultrasound results · protein-losing enteropathy treatment · dog intestinal inflammation symptoms
Abstract
In this retrospective study, the medical records of 23 dogs with the sonographic feature of small intestinal hyperechoic mucosal striations and an endoscopic or surgical intestinal biopsy were reviewed. Histopathologic lacteal dilation was present in 96% of dogs with mucosal striations. Sonographic findings associated with mucosal striations included: mild jejunal wall thickening (96%), mild duodenal wall thickening (78%), mucosal speckles (70%), and abdominal effusion (87%). The mucosal striations were diffuse (70%) or multifocal (30%) and did not cause loss of wall layering, except in one dog with a severe mural lipogranuloma. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy was identified in 9% of dogs. Thirteen dogs with endoscopic biopsies had mild to moderate villus lacteal dilation and the nine dogs with surgical biopsies had moderate to severe dilation. Inflammatory infiltrates were mild (61%) or moderate (30%) with variable numbers and combinations of cells, including eosinophils (65%), plasma cells (61%), lymphocytes (57%), and neutrophils (30%); one dog had disseminated villus histiocytic sarcoma. The biochemistry changes and clinical signs were consistent with protein-losing enteropathy in 78% of dogs. Hyperechoic mucosal striations in dogs are associated with lacteal dilation and are frequently associated with mucosal inflammation and protein losing enteropathy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17236361/