Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Contrast ultrasound helps diagnose congenital liver shunts in three
By Salwei, Rochelle M et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2003·Department of Surgical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of contrast harmonic ultrasound for the diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunts in three dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old mixed breed dog was diagnosed with a congenital portosystemic shunt (PSS), a condition where blood bypasses the liver, leading to various health issues. The veterinarian used a special ultrasound technique called contrast harmonic ultrasound to assess the dog's liver blood flow. This method revealed that the dog's liver was receiving blood differently than normal, indicating the presence of the shunt. By identifying this condition, the vet could recommend appropriate treatment options to manage the dog's health.
People also search for: dog portosystemic shunt symptoms · ultrasound for dog liver problems · treatment for congenital liver shunt in dogs
Abstract
Contrast harmonic ultrasound was used to determine macrovascular and perfusion patterns in three dogs with congenital extrahepatic solitary portosystemic shunts (PSS). With coded harmonic angiographic ultrasound, the size and tortuosity of the hepatic arteries were subjectively increased. Single pulse intermittent low-amplitude harmonic perfusion imaging provided contrast enhancement time-intensity curves from regions of interest in the liver. Mean (+/- standard deviation) peak perfusion times of dogs with PSS were significantly shorter (p = 0.01; 7.0 +/- 2.0 s) than reported in normal dogs (22.8 +/- 6.8 s). The contrast inflow slope for the dogs with PSS (14.6 +/- 3.7 pixel intensity units [PIU] was significantly (p = 0.05) larger than reported for normal dogs (3.6 +/- 1.4 PIU/s). These results indicate that combined coded harmonic angiographic and contrast harmonic perfusion sonography can be used to detect increased hepatic arterial blood flow as an indicator of PSS in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12816372/