Search Results (2)

CTHV is a non-invasive and accurate method for assessing liver volume in dogs. CTHV has not been studied in each type of extrahepatic PSS in dogs. This study aimed to use CTHV to compare liver volumes in dogs with different types of PSSs that had been confirmed by computed tomography angiography. Dogs with PSSs were retrospectively included and categorized into IH, EHPC, EHPA, or EHPP shunt groups. Manual CTHV was performed, and the normalized liver volume (nLV) and the difference in nLV from the estimated liver volume calculated based on body weight (LV%diff) was calculated. The study included 57 dogs: 20 IH, 21 EHPC, 9 EHPA, and 7 EHPP. The median nLV (cm³/kg) and LV%diff (%) for each group were as follows: IH 17.3 (−40.4%); EHPC 16.9 (−60.3%); EHPA 15.1 (−56.7%); and EHPP 17.2 (−59.2%), respectively. There were no significant differences in nLV among the PSS types. However, LV%diff was significantly more pronounced in the EHPC and EHPA groups compared with the IH group. Additionally, smaller dogs exhibited more severe microhepatia, with a significant positive correlation between LV%diff and body weight (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that microhepatia severity varies by shunt type and is more severe in smaller dogs, highlighting the need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms. Full article

The assessment of liver size is usually performed using radiography in dogs. However, due to wide variations in patients’ sizes and body conformations, accurate diagnosis of hepatomegaly or microhepatia is difficult. Computed tomographic (CT) volumetry can quantitatively and accurately measure liver volume. However, a reliable method for the standardization or normalization of volume in dogs without hepatic disease using CT has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to assess seven different anatomic measures for normalizing liver volume in dogs and determine the tentative range of liver volume in dogs without hepatic disease. We retrospectively searched medical records from 1 January 2017 through to 1 June 2020 and included dogs with abdominal computed tomography without hepatic disease. The liver volume, lengths of four vertebrae (T11, T12, L2, L3), diameter of the abdominal aorta, body weight, and body condition scores (BCSs) of the dogs were recorded. Forty-one client-owned dogs without evidence of hepatic disease were included. The CT-derived liver volume was 813.8 ± 326.5 cm³ (mean ± SD). Body weight was determined to be the most reliable single-variable method for normalizing liver volume, with a raw CT-derived liver-volume-to-body-weight ratio of 22.1 cm³/kg (95% CI: 12.9–31.3 cm³/kg) and regression prediction model of volume = 19 × BWkg + 97. However, a better normalizing factor would likely be provided by the fat-free mass if it can be accurately measured. Full article