title: Effect of anaesthesia on contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the feline spleen.
abstract: The spleens of 18 healthy cats were imaged using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to evaluate splenic perfusion and to compare perfusion patterns in awake and anaesthetised cats. Two groups of cats were imaged; the first (Group 1) consisted of 10 young, anaesthetised cats and the second (Group 2) comprised eight young to middle aged cats that were initially imaged when awake and later following anaesthesia. A two-phase enhancement of the spleen was observed both in awake and in anaesthetised cats. The time to first appearance of the contrast was significantly faster in awake (3.9±0.6s) than anaesthetised (4.8±1.0s) cats in Group 2 (P=0.031). A marked heterogeneous perfusion pattern was more prevalent in the anaesthetised (50%) compared to the awake (12.5%) animals in Group 2. The spleen was heterogeneous for approximately 30s in all groups. The results indicated that CEUS suspected focal perfusion defects of the spleen, especially during general anaesthesia, should be evaluated with caution and only after the initial heterogeneity has disappeared.
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 57, Helsinki 00014, Finland. Electronic address: merja.leinonen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Merja R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 57, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
authors.forename: Marja R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Raekallio
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 57, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
authors.forename: Outi M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Vainio
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1008 West Hazelwood Dr., Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000662:veterinary*; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary*; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002415:Cats; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D008297:Male; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D015742:Propofol; C042852:perflutren