CONTRAST-ENHANCED ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF CANINE FOCAL LIVER LESIONS

In six normal beagles and 27 dogs with spontaneous focal or multifocal liver lesions, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography using Sonazoid^® was performed. Sonazoid^® is a newly developed second-generation contrast agent with the ability to be used for real-time contrast imaging along with parenchymal imaging. An appropriate protocol for the evaluation of all three phases (arterial, portal, and parenchymal) was established based on the results for normal beagles. By evaluation of the echogenicity of hepatic nodules during the arterial and parenchymal phases it was possible to differentiate malignant tumors from benign nodules with very high accuracy. In 15 of 16 dogs diagnosed as malignant tumors, nodules were clearly hypoechoic to the surrounding normal liver during the parenchymal phase. Additionally, malignant tumors had different echogenicity compared with the surrounding normal liver during the arterial phase in 14 of 15 dogs. In the portal phase, there were no characteristic findings. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid^® appears to improve the characterization of canine focal and multifocal hepatic lesions.     

Dimensional ultrasonographic relationship of the right lobe of pancreas with associated anatomic landmarks in clinically normal dogs

The purpose of this prospective study was to establish the ultrasonographic characteristics of the dimension of the right pancreatic lobe with that of the associated anatomic landmarks in healthy dogs. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed on 25 dogs. The thickness of the right pancreatic lobe was compared with that of mural thickness of duodenum, diameter of duodenum, pancreatic duct, abdominal aorta, portal vein, caudal vena cava, and length and width of the right kidney and right adrenal gland. The correlation between each pancreatic parameter and the dimensions of the anatomical landmarks were assessed using linear regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) test. Significant, but weak linear correlations were observed between thickness of right pancreatic lobe with that of duodenum mural thickness (r=0.605, R²=0.339, P=0.001); duodenum diameter (r=0.573, R²=0.299, P=0.003); and right adrenal gland length (r=0.508, R²=0.052, P=0.01). There was no significant dimensional relationship with other selected anatomic landmarks. The ratio between the thickness of right pancreatic lobe and the mural thickness of duodenum, diameter of duodenum and length of right adrenal gland were 2.88 ± 0.53, 1.27 ± 0.27 and 0.81 ± 0.15, respectively. Calculating the ratio of thickness of the right pancreatic lobe with the dimension of significantly correlated anatomic landmarks is a useful and simple method for evaluating the size of the right pancreatic lobe in dogs in clinical practice.