title: Cellular features of sonographic target lesions of the liver and spleen in 21 dogs and a cat.
abstract: Target lesions are seen in ultrasound images of the liver or spleen as nodules or masses with a hypoechoic rim and a hyperechoic or isoechoic center. To assess the diagnostic significance of finding a target lesion, the cytologic and/or histopathologic findings were reviewed in a series of 21 dogs and a cat that had hepatic and/or splenic target lesions noted during abdominal ultrasonography. Twelve of 16 hepatic target lesions and 5 of 7 splenic target lesions were malignant. In this series, the finding of one or more target lesions in the liver or spleen had a positive predictive value for malignancy of 74%; for the finding of multiple target lesions in one organ, the positive predictive value for malignancy was 81%. Benign lesions associated with target lesions were nodular hyperplasia of the liver and spleen, pyogranulomatous hepatitis, cirrhosis, and chronic active hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuccovillo
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lamb
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011996:Records / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary