Hepatic volume measurements in dogs with extrahepatic congenital portosystemic shunts before and after surgical attenuation.
BACKGROUND
In dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS), the ability of the hypoplastic liver to grow is considered important for recovery after surgical shunt attenuation.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated hepatic growth after extrahepatic shunt attenuation in dogs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).


METHODS
Ten client-owned dogs with single extrahepatic CPSS.


METHODS
Abdominal MRI, CT, or both were performed before and 8 days, 1, and 2 months after shunt attenuation. Liver volumes were calculated from the areas of the MRI or CT images.


RESULTS
Before surgery, median liver volume was 18.2cm3/kg body weight. Liver volume increased significantly after surgery. Growth was highest between days 0 and 8 and decreased afterward. Median liver volume was 28.8 cm3/kg at 2 months after attenuation. No significant differences in growth were found between dogs with complete or partial shunt closure or between dogs with complete or incomplete metabolic recovery. Volumes measured from consecutively performed MRI and CT images correlated well (r = 0.980), but volumes from MRI images were significantly larger than volumes from CT images (6.8%; P = .008).


CONCLUSIONS
After shunt attenuation, rapid normalization of liver size was observed. Hepatic growth was not decreased in dogs after partial closure of CPSS or in dogs with subclinical, persistent shunting 2 months after surgery. CT is the preferred imaging method for volumetric estimation because of speed.
Kummeling
A
A
Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.154, Utrecht 3508 TD, The Netherlands. a.kummeling@uu.nl
Vrakking
D J E
DJ
Rothuizen
J
J
Gerritsen
K M
KM
van Sluijs
F J
FJ
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D009929:Organ Size; D011168:Portal System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery